Drinking the Wrong Kind of Tea

I was on a twenty-one day fast and was (for most of it) consuming only water. At some point during the transition back to food, I started drinking watered-down vegetable juices.

And some green tea.

That is until I discovered that green tea doesn’t mean that it is caffeine-free as I had wrongly assumed it was.

I discovered this when, after drinking some green tea, I felt a slight caffeine rush in my system. I had been drinking the wrong tea and educated myself by more carefully reading the box that the tea came in before making myself a cup.

Today, many people are drinking the wrong kind of tea. They are consuming it as they watch TV or stare at the news feed on their smart phone.

Commercial after commercial uses the phrase; “So much uncertainty… So much uncertainty… So much uncertainty!”

As Christians this statement should cause us to stand up and shout; “Uncertainty? Certainly NOT!”

Our God is the God of CERTAINTY!! Hebrews 13:8 tells us:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

And because of it we have so much certainty!

Lysa TerKeurst said it best:

“I do know that what makes faith fall apart isn’t doubt. It’s being too certain of the wrong things.”

We can be free from doubt or reservation; confident; sure. We can exclaim to EVERY situation: I am certain that the LORD will come through!

He tells us in the Bible that He will provide. For our part we are to seek His face and His Kingdom and His righteousness.

We don’t need to live in uncertainty when we have so much certainty from One who is and will always be faithful!

Another phrase that commercials use is the phrase; “Unprecedented…” referring to the times that we are in.

UNPRECEDENTED?? How can that be? Ecclesiastes 1:9 says

That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

The LORD preceded EVERYTHING! He created EVERYTHING! Nothing throws Him off. We may not have gone through it before but the LORD has seen it all.

Some of what has been troubling us is our plans are out of whack. Everything that we planned is up in the air and on hold.

We had been riding a healthy economy with employment at an all-time high. Everywhere you looked companies, stores, and restaurants had “help wanted” signs.

Real estate was a seller’s market and bids were raised way above the asking price in order to purchase a home.

We hadn’t seen the possibility of the whole system crashing. We had not listened to the wisdom in James 4:13-15

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

If you, too, have been drinking the wrong tea as you drink the media that exclaims that time are unprecedented and uncertain.

Or if you are struggling to find hope for tomorrow, I have some good news for you.

Every day you can awaken with the hope that as you turn to God each day, you will find His mercy fresh and new waiting for you. Great is His faithfulness; in that you can place your hope!

How much have you acknowledged Him so far this day? He’s not upset with you; He just wants to be with you and have you acknowledge that He is there.

Are you ready to start today over? Have you tried to change your life with no success? Are you tired of trying to do it your way?

Come to Jesus who will exchange your uncertainty for a certainty that cannot be shaken.

Call 1-888-NEED –HIM; someone is waiting to talk with you.

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Way Below His Potential

Years ago, I volunteered as site supervisor and consultant for Rebuilding Together Twin Cities. They were partnering with the Honeywell Corporation to do repairs on a house in Minneapolis for a homeowner who was physically unable to do the work himself.

This event was highly supported by the local media who sent field reporters to broadcast live on the local Twin Cities news stations.

To add to the grand effort, Genevieve Gorder was hired to be the spokesperson to the media on behalf of Rebuilding together.

NOTE: Genevieve is an American television host and interior designer. She was one of the original designers of the TLC's hit series Trading Spaces.

A speech was given, safety was explained, donuts were eaten, and all hit the floor to accomplish the tasks before them.

Genevieve and the local Muckety-Mucks from Honeywell Corporation spent most of their time suited up as they took photos with media and all who recognized Genevieve.

The Honeywell executives took the opportunity to stand in the limelight in order to draw attention to their partnership with Rebuilding Together nationally.

My assignment was to look for issues of safety, quality of work, answer technical questions, and keep an eye on what was taking place at the whole jobsite. I decided to take a walk away from the celebrities and meet with the volunteers who were physically doing the work.

As I walked into the backyard, I noticed two men who were up to their elbows in engine parts and other junk piled in a corner of the yard; all of which needed to be tossed into a dumpster.

I asked them if they needed anything and encouraged them to get something to eat or drink.

The two men were covered in sweat and grease and turned down my request for them to take a break. I admired their work ethic.

When I made my way back to the front of the house, the media frenzy drove me to go back into the house away from the limelight.

Inside, the local representative from Honeywell who was my contact person asked me if I had met the bigshots from Honeywell. I said that I saw the men dressed in suits posing with Genevieve, neighbors, and the media.

She informed me that they were the local bigshots; she was referring to the BIGSHOTS from Honeywell National Corporation: The Senior VP’s who flew to Minnesota to join the local workers from Honeywell at the jobsite.

It turns out that they were the two men in the backyard.

These men were working way below their potential so I went to the back to meet them. The men told me that they wanted to remain doing the work that no one wanted to do; away from the media frenzy. And that they wanted no credit for what they were doing. They wanted to remain anonymous.

As a corporation, Honeywell had encouraged employees around the USA to volunteer. These two men had issued the orders on behalf of the BOD of Honeywell, yet had not personally done any physical work.

So, they came to Minnesota to work incognito where no one would recognize them and where they could do work and get no credit. They CHOSE to give of themselves and take no credit. They CHOSE to take on tasks that no one wanted to do.

They knew that they needed to lead by serving way below their potential instead of flaunting their status in the Honeywell Corporation for all to see.

These men reminded me of the words written by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Philippi:

 “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, ² fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:1-4)

These men reminded me of the One who really lived here on earth way below His potential. His name is Jesus Christ.

He CHOSE to give of Himself for the sins of humans by submitting to the laws and the wages of death.

He CHOSE to submit Himself to torture, beating, and hung naked as He was nailed to a cross to die a cruel and slow death.

He CHOSE to serve way below His potential in order to express the love of the Father who longed for sinful man to turn form their sins and turn to His love and forgiveness.

 

And because of what He did, the Apostle Paul continues in his letter to the church in Philippi:

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 

⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

The world could use more who CHOSE to live way below their potential.

Rebuilding Together Twin Cities has been preserving and revitalizing homes and communities in the metropolitan area since 1997. Our programs provide opportunities for community involvement. Through sponsors and volunteer efforts, we strive to impact communities and the nonprofit places where neighborhood members gather. http://rebuildingtogether-twincities.org/

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

My Dad Is In Charge

It was a Friday night in nineteen seventy something and I was working part time at the Post Office while attending art college. And, because I was only part time, I was able to carry the load of college and still make money to pay my way.

One evening, I arrived at my normal timeslot and was greeted by a new supervisor who wanted to talk with me.

He said that he had replaced my old boss who had retired and that he had some great concerns about how few hours I worked each day.

I explained to him that I was special and only was scheduled to work four hours a day from six until ten in the evening. This was the arrangement that I had with my old boss.

He explained to me that because my old boss no longer worked there and he was now in change, that would need to change; effective immediately.

He added that if I was unwilling to work a full eight-hour shift and be available for overtime as necessary, I should go home and no longer report for work.

Because I realized that he was serious and because I had no intention of ever working full time while attending college, I took off my badge, handed it to him, and went home.

When I arrived home, my dad asked why I was home so early.

As I explained what had transpired, my dad’s face became very stern.

“That guy has no right to demand that of you! Why didn’t you call me?” he asked, adding “Don’t you know that I could’ve worked things out for you?”

 

I mumbled something as I felt the sting of disappointment that my dad expressed in me not going to him for help.

For some reason I hadn’t thought of my dad, who had worked his whole career at the post office and was higher up in management then my new boss was.

I mumbled something else as I walked out the door, realizing that I had disappointment to two people in a very short span of time.

I don’t remember much of what happened during the weekend but, needless to say, on Monday I was back working for the Post office. My dad had gone into work and explained what had happened and “heads began to roll”.

They not only agreed that my new boss was out of line and had no authority to say what he said to me, but they also offered my old job and hours back to me with an apology that this had ever taken place.

I felt triumphant that night as I strolled back into work knowing that my boss had limited authority over my life. My dad outranked him and there was nothing that he could do about it!

My dad was happy that he was able to help. What I thought was disappointment on his face was frustration that someone had messed up his son’s life and that I hadn’t come to him to ask for his help.

In time I learned that is what I do with my heavenly Father. I will get myself in trouble or else someone or something will threaten me and I don’t even go to Him and ask for His help.

Instead, I quit or hide or roll over.

His Son Jesus paid for my sins and that is why I call Him Savior.

But He is also Lord. That means He is supreme in all authority; He is still in control of EVERYTHING and of EVERY situation.

He simply wants us to ask for His help.

Jesus is Savior and Lord.

“Therefore, God elevated Him (Jesus) to the place of highest honor
    and gave Him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

 “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—(Acts 10:36)

“But for us, There is one God, the Father,
    by whom all things were created,
    and for whom we live.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    through whom all things were created,
    and through whom we live.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)

This Is My Church

One of the hard parts about being a pastor is trying to be "under-cover" and yet remain true to who you are.

 

What I mean is that when I am at a "church" function or some other service such as a wedding or funeral it is easy for me to be "myself" as a pastor. I know what people expect and I am free to function in that role.

When I am at some other weekly activity such as shopping, at the gym, cutting my grass, or playing hockey, I try hard to not let people know that I am a pastor…especially a "reverend". 

I know that may seem strange to those who are still in preparation (bible school or seminary) or are not yet ordained. Why would I try to be incognito after going through all of the preparation and the process of ordination and then try to conceal the fact that I am an ordained pastor?

Why? Because as soon as people find out that I am a pastor, they get awkward and start apologizing for how they talk to me...or that they swore…or that they gave me a hard time as they teased me and made me the butt of a joke. 

This is happens partially because the stereotypical pastor is holed up in his/her church office trying to stay pure and undefined by the "sinners". The result is that the average person doesn’t know a pastor outside of the church. 

And the average pastor doesn’t know how to reach people outside of the church (building).

Perhaps that is what so many churches are filled with church folk instead of "sinners".

So, people sometimes act weird simply because they don't know how to act around a pastor. They see us a moral standard and are concerned that they will say and do the wrong thing around us. 

I ran into this recently and the end of a hockey game. One of my teammates had seen a documentary on a cult and asked me if I was a part of them. I assured him that I was a Christian not a Scientologist.

He continued and explained why he doesn't go to church. His answers were honest and open as he explained that he knew that God knew how he was doing. He had enough of churches that were run Iike businesses and seemed to be just after his money.

"I don't need to go to church..." He continued as he drew another teammate standing next to us into the conversation.

The other man said; "Yeah, I don't need to go to church either; THIS IS MY CHURCH!" as he pointed at the hockey rink. The first man agreed and said; "Yes, this is my church too!"

I came to realize that these men were correct. They had discovered their need for community at a hockey rink where they could be themselves and not have to make excuses for how they spoke or acted or lived their lives.

They were right that some churches have become business that were no longer serving what these men needed. They are no longer places where people seeking answers and peace and direction can come and find the saving grace of the LORD through Jesus Christ.

They had enough and weren't willing to simply drink the Kool-Aid. They had found life in something other than the church and they weren't going back.

So what do we, who know the LORD and are called to be an ambassador say to them and their concerns and objections? How do we reach them where they are at?

It’s not complicated; in fact the answer is so very simple that we simply don't do it.

We need to go to where they are. 

After all, that IS what Jesus would do because that is what He did. All of the Gospel stories are filled with Jesus hanging with people who were rejected by the religious folks. And they, too, had enough and weren't going back even if they were invited.

Jesus didn't make the church to be a fortress in which we run to to be safe from "them". Christians are the called out and set apart followers who come to be equipped so that we can go out to our worlds. 

Jesus instructed us to not wear special clothing or take special seats or let people be hindered by our "holiness" and self-righteousness. Jesus has had enough of that which is why the church was created. 

Jesus instructed us to NOT put ourselves in a posture where we are away from "them"; and yet we do that over and over again. 

And "non-church" folks have had enough and they aren't going back to church even if they are invited.

Jesus made us to be with people to be His hands and His feet to live our lives being “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:22)

No, this doesn’t mean being a drunk to the drunk. This doesn’t give us an excuse to be immoral and to live lives contrary to the Word of God…the goal is salvation.

He made us (the church) to go after lost sheep, coins, and sons (please read Luke chapter 15).

Jesus made us to sit in coffee shops and play hockey and talk to our neighbors and cut their grass. Eat at local restaurants, walk our dogs, sign our kids up for baseball, let them know what it means to follow Jesus.

Jesus came to show the world what the Father looks like (John 14). When we see Jesus (in scripture) we get a picture of what the Father looks like; how He acts and moves...

Jesus left us to continue this. He wanted that people would know what the Father looks like when they see how we act and care and show the love of the LORD.

He sent the Holy Spirit to do the convicting of sin and of righteousness, and of judgment; which oftentimes is independent of them going to church.... 

And He sent the Holy Spirit to remind followers of Jesus (the Church) of what He said (John 16) and what He wants us to do.

We as pastors need to cry out for more of the Holy Spirit in our churches so that those who come in will be changed. And then we need to send them and go with them back into the world and be Jesus to this world.

Jesus is calling out to pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets, and evangelists to do the work of the ministry INSIDE the church to equip the saints for what they will do for the remaining 95% of their week.

 

Jesus is calling out to pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets, and evangelists to do the work of the ministry OUTSIDE the church and meet people where they are.

So strap on your skates, grab your sticks, and go to "their" church. Join their community and be a part of their lives and watch how He will use you to make a difference in this world.

Like Giving Medicine to A Cat…

I’m sitting at home one night; mindlessly watching TV with Cathy when a commercial comes on for a product that will cure some ailment for a cat.

They show the human and she is happy. They show the cat and it too is happy. They show the family and everyone is happy.

As the saying goes; “Happy cat, happy homelife” or something like that.

The commercial is so moving that I stand on my feet because I, too, want this kind of rich and abundant life, and I reach for my car keys and my wallet.

And then reason prevails and I think of at least three reasons why I shouldn’t pick up this product…

Number One: The side effects are devastating for the cat. They include depression, difficulty with swallowing, vomiting, and diarrhea.

“Yeah, that’s what I want”; I say to Cathy. “A cat who is now depressed, because it can’t swallow and is projecting fluids from both of its major orifices!” I sit back down on couch, trying to get that image out of my head.

The second reason why I shouldn’t pick up this product is; “Have you ever tried to give medicine to a cat?!”

I don’t care how happy the humans and the cat are, it is very apparent that whoever wrote this commercial clearly has never tried to give medicine to a cat!

Simply put, you don’t! Take it from one who has tried you can’t; period.

When I was a young lad, my family tried to hide the medicine in our cat’s food. The cat showed us what’s what and ate every morsel of food as it pushed aside the medicine we had cleverly hidden inside of the food dish.

None of us felt safe to go to sleep after the cat gave us the; “Don’t ever try that again” look and hissed at us.

When my children were young, Cathy and I tried giving medicine to one of their cats.

I told Cathy to bypass the ‘hiding-it-in-the-food’ trick because experience taught us to not even go there…

So, we tried the ‘take-two-people-to give-it -to-the-cat’ approach. That is where two people (usually the parents) are needed because one holds the cat’s mouth open as the other shoves (or attempts to shove) the medicine down it’s throat.

It’s kind of a good-cop, bad-cop trick that never really works.

We thought that by one of us speaking lovingly to the cat while prying open the mouth, somehow the cat would trust us as the other person shoved the medicine down the throat. After all, we were trying to help the cat get better; we were doing something for the good of the cat.

 

This, too, ends up with the cat hissing as it gave us the; “Don’t ever try that again” look.

It also includes many memories burned into my children’s cerebral cortex as they watched in horror as their beloved cat resisted our attempts to heal it by yowling to the point of being ridiculous; memories that therapists would later refer to as “billable hours” as they attempted to help us get those images out of all of our heads. 

Oh, and third reason why I shouldn’t pick up this product is, I don’t own a cat or any pet for that matter….

I changed the channel on the tv and then, in true pondering fashion, I thought of God and how I act towards Him as He attempts to do something for my own good.

How I push away all that He does for my good.

How I yowl and resist and work hard to not take what God has “put in my food dish” that will help me.

How I think that at times He can seem to me to be overbearing and too demanding as I hiss at Him as I give the; “Don’t ever try that again” look.

But the truth is that everything He does is for my good; after all, I am made in His image and (as a Christian) bear His Name.

The truth is that He owns me; I belong to Him.

He doesn’t want to shove anything down my throat. He wants is asking me to stop resisting Him and stop struggling and to take the medicine.

He says to me; “…open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10).

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so that He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.” (Isaiah 30:18)