Vicious Tornadoes in Oklahoma

I admit it. I don't like tornadoes. Ever since I was a small child I've been scared of them. Over the years I've suffered ridicule from others because of, what I like to call, my healthy respect of them.

Today several large tornadoes ran through my home state of Oklahoma and my heart and prayers go out to those who were effected by them. As one of those was raging toward the town of Piedmont, we made the last minute decision to make a dash for a friends house, who has a storm shelter, about 5 miles away. In order to get to safety we had to actually drive toward the tornado.

As we drove, the clouds grew more and more ominous. The lightening was the most intense I've ever seen. We continued to race toward the black wall of clouds and also our safety, blowing through stop signs and driving as fast as was safe.

Now sitting in my comfy chair in the living room, reflecting on the event, a few things stand out.

1. As we drove quickly to safety there were cars in front of us that seemed to be unconcerned of the sever conditions. This was evident from how slow they were driving.

2. The experts told us to get to the safest place possible at all cost.

3. Even though we were driving into the storm, safety lay between us.

We continued driving as fast as possible, until finally we arrived at the road. We raced down the street and into the driveway of our friends. In moments we were underground in a storm shelter.

Fortunately, the tornado stayed about 4 miles North of us and my family is safe tonight. This time. What would have happened if we would have ignored the experts and the storm would have made a direct hit to our house?

Its an easy transition to make a spiritual implication here. Many people are wondering through life not realizing the sever condition of their souls. Without Christ, life and certainly eternity is pointless. Even though God has sent people into their lives to warn them of those sever conditions. Undoubtedly, there will be times that we feel we are driving right into, or have entered into, the greatest storm of our lives. However, if we are in the safest place possible...we'll survive the storm.

Where is that "Safe" place for our souls? In Christ. The Bible says in Psalms 32:7 "Thou art a hiding place for me,thou preservest me from trouble; thou dost encompass me with deliverance."

Romans 10:9 "because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

I pray that you will get to the safe place soon.

Think POSSIBLE!

I was reading this morning in Genesis chapters 17 and 18. It's the story of God telling Abraham and Sara (God changed their names to this). I never noticed it before, but as God was informing Abraham that his wife was going to have a son, Abraham fell face down and began to laugh (17:17). Abraham, went on to ask God, "Can a son be born to a man one hundred years old?" Abraham thought this to be impossible.

However, at some point Abraham decided to believe God for the impossible. In fact he acted on that faith by doing what God asked him to do (God told him to be circumcised along with all his household). Sometimes it's hard to act on what God tells you to do isn't it?

In chapter 18, Abraham again has a visit from the Lord. This time it was his wife Sara who laughed when she heard she would have a baby (Gen 18:12).

It's a little strange to think of Abraham as having great faith, yet today we speak of him when we mention those with who have it. Even the writer of Hebrews mentions Abraham as an example of someone who has the kind of faith we should emulate (Heb 11).

THE POINT:
God wants you to believe Him for the impossible. He is a BIG God who loves you and is working out His plans in your life. It may appear that what He has asked you to do is foolish. However, God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. It isn't our role to "reason" if things are possible, but to believe this BIG God for BIG things in our life. God works through faith!

TODAY:
1. Believe God for BIGGER things in your life.
2. Trust that He is BIG enough to take care of your problems.
3. Activate your faith by doing what He has asked you to do.

Bitter Sweet

I didn't get the news until last night about 10pm, that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. This man who was by far the most wanted man on the planet, met his demise through the constant pursuit of our U.S. Military forces. Having served in the Army and still having friends that serve, it hits home. I'm extremely proud of our military, especially for friends that are in military units which were directly involved in administering the justice to Bin Laden.

As I sit in my living room now watching CNN. There are interviews happening where people are speaking as though all of the terrorism threats are behind us now because of Bin Laden's death. Although, a major threat has been removed I don't feel that the overall threat is behind us.

We need to rejoice in the victory, but also be thankful for those who fight in our place.

This can be connected directly to our spiritual lives as well. We have an enemy who is out to bring terror and death to our lives. His soul mission is to chip away at our defenses until we give up the fight. So what do we do?

We turn to the One who fights for us. To win spiritual victories in your life, you don't need to relentlessly pursue your enemy, but relentlessly pursue your Savior. Jesus Christ has made the ultimate sacrifice for you. In fact, Jesus is the one that tracked down and defeated your enemy for you.

The Bible says about Jesus in Colossians 2:15, "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."

Today, rejoice in the victory that Jesus has given you.

Don't throw it away

Have you ever accidentally thrown something away that was worth something to you? A few years ago as we were packing our house to move to Africa, my wife found this old purse she didn't use anymore. Not thinking she would need it, she threw it away. Months went by before we realized that the diamond earrings I bought her were missing. We searched high and low for them, but couldn't find them anywhere. Want to guess where they were? You got it...she had thrown them away with the purse!

The writer of Hebrews says in 10:35- "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded."

Many times in our anxiety of moving on to the place God has for us we "throw away" our confidence. This happens because we've grown confident in the place God has us. You know the routine, the in's and out's of the place and generally can just flow because you've been there for awhile. But now God is asking you to completely trust you again to step out into the unknown.

He could (as many times) ask you to do something that is way out of your comfort zone. Maybe He is leading you to do something that you've never done before. In these times don't be worried that you don't have what it takes to do what God is asking you to do. It is He who has called you and equipped you and it is He who supplies the confidence you need to accomplish the task.

If you keep your confidence in HIM and not in yourself you'll find that He will come through for you time and time again. It's only when we get confident in ourselves that we begin to feel that anxiety.

Today do something big for God. Place your confidence in Him and it will be richly rewarded.

2 Cor 3:4,5 4Such is the confidence that we have in God through Christ. 5By ourselves we are not qualified to claim that anything comes from us. Rather, our credentials come from God...

Patient in Affliction

affliction |əˈflik sh ən|
noun
something that causes pain or suffering

I don't know about you, but I do not much like "Pain" or "Suffering." Yet Paul told us in Romans 12:12 to be patient in them.

Romans 12:12- Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Patient in affliction is actually how he put it. That word, which is defined above, isn't a pretty word.

If Paul tells us to be "patient" in our afflictions, it must mean that there is a time that it will all be over. It seems like he is telling the Romans, "Hey, I know times are hard. Just hold out because this too shall pass."

Are you going through something right now that seems too heavy to carry? Consider the fact that Jesus is there with you helping you carry that load right now. Call out to Him for strength and wisdom. Remember, be patient...for this too shall pass.

Thunder basketball and Jesus

I'm sitting watching the Thunder finish up a 3 game streak over the Nuggets. I'm usually really tired by midnight, but it's the playoffs! I think I'm a little juiced up about tomorrow being Easter too. It's like the NBA Championship for churches. It's one of the 2 days when anyone who considers themselves a "church goer" attends church. (Christmas being the other).

Just being transparent here...I wonder why some people only come those days? It makes me wonder, if It's the church that isn't attractive enough for people to want to come more often or people just having busy lives. I want to believe it's the latter.

If it's not however, the church has some serious realities to face. How can we place ourselves in position to be relevant and attractive to those of our communities? Again, taking from basketball, I believe its just practice and the ability to make adjustments.

Great basketball teams take seriously those two things. In practice, the believer must live out their Christian witness everyday so others see the blessings God brings to them, thus making them want it. (Matthew 5:16). In adjustment, the believer and the church must be able and willing to change the presentation in order to get the ear of those only mildly interested.

I really hope the Thunder win the NBA Championship this year. I love these guys!

My complaining

So today I was feeling sorry for myself and thinking how difficult Pastoring is sometimes. Then tonight I received an email from a Rwandan Pastor friend. He emailed me to say how much he missed me and loved me.

He was a Pastor, who I remember delivering food too. He and his family didn't have enough to eat because he had moved to another town to plant a church and there wasn't enough money in the church to pay them. They lived in a small little house that wasn't big enough for them. He had no car, his shoes were wore out and he wore the same suit every Sunday. His congregation met in a rented house with a dirt floor. They sit on wood benches with not back. The day I delivered food to them, the whole family cried.

No more complaining for me.