The Word: How It Enriches My Life
The Paint Project I missed posting and sending out my newsletter last week as I recruited family members to put a very much needed coat of paint on my house. It took the better part of the week and left me exhausted on a daily basis. To be honest, I’m still recovering and putting off going around with a paint can and a brush to hit the light spots. Protecting My Home and Rediscovering Priorities I love looking at the house and knowing that it is protected for some time to come. That isn’t the biggest takeaway though. I realized what a toll it takes on me to be spending all my time on activities other than ministry. Sure, the physical toll was one thing. But I missed spending the majority of my day in the Word and sharing through my various writings and counseling sessions what God’s Word has for us. The Awakening: Rediscovering My Mission I noticed the difference the very first day that I spent back on the laptop. But this morning while I was listening to my large playlist, I heard a song that really spelled it out very well. The song “Just Love” by Diamond Rio came on. In the middle of the song there are a few lines that really reminded me of my mission, what God has called me to. The song says, “Sunday morning worship Everybody hears it Are we gonna live it Just love.” Challenges to Lasting Faith: The Parable of the Sower For many years, my wife and I have seen how much of what we see, hear, and say in church often doesn’t last very long. Often the attitude of worship and things we might have learned from the sermon are gone by the time we get home. Much like the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9) there are so many things that keep the Word and the very love of God from making a significant difference in our hearts the rest of the week. I think for most of us, it is the thorns that get in the way. Jesus described three specific types of soil where seeds will not flourish. One, which resembles our world today, is ground where thorns rise up and choke out the good plants as they try to grow. The Message of God’s Love: A Mission Our world is so full of distractions, worries, and priorities that aren’t Him. That’s why I wrote my first book, How to be a Christian in Today’s World: Shame or Fear of Failure vs. Living Confidently in God’s Love. Too many just don’t know how much God loves them and therefore can’t live in it and share it with the world. Rejoicing in Ministry I’m glad my house is painted. But I’m even more glad to be back on the computer studying and writing and reveling in the glory of God. I pray that if you don’t already take time to be in the presence of our loving God on a daily basis that you will. I know I benefit from it, I know you can too.
The Evangelical Study Bible
As a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid, I received an advance review copy of the Evangelical Study Bible with the request that I give it an honest review. Although the New King James Version is not my favorite translation, there is so much to this Bible that I can easily overlook that fact. The Evangelical Study Bible is packed with more comprehensive material than any other study Bible I have ever seen. It includes doctrinal notes (from a clearly evangelical perspective), contextual notes, translator notes, brief biographies of Biblical characters as well as information on archaeological sites and much more. There are so many tools packed into this one volume that it includes a “How to use the Evangelical Study Bible” section! Although the sheer amount of extra material and a key for it may seem daunting, I believe this Bible truly gives every Christian the tools to understand the Bible and thereby the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in a way that traditionally required a scholar and many different tools to put all of this together. I have always written and preached with a desire to open the Word to help people reach a deeper understanding. This Bible does that. I strongly encourage all Christians to consider getting one for their study. We can easily be a Christian floating around with no path or understanding, or we can truly understand what we believe and why we believe it, so that we can share it with the world. You can get your copy here. #BibleGatewayPartner
The Power of Gathering and Prayer in Christianity: Strengthening Faith and Community
The Power of Gathering as Christians I received an email of a blog post last week. It was an impressively well-written piece about the four ways that we as Christians need to gather and how each benefits us individually and corporately. The last was prayer. The author talked about praying together, whether in church or just as small groups. The point was made that all too often we promise to pray for someone and we all know that many get busy and forget. (If we’re honest, many likely never really intend to pray.) What is much better, the author said, is to pray for and agree in prayer with others. I have to say I must agree that being prayed for or praying and having others join you to agree in prayer can do so much to lift a person up. The Impact of Community in Trying Times Last Thursday was an early, long, and difficult day for the whole household. I spent much of the day alone, in the dark about how my wife was doing. I realized in the early afternoon why I was feeling so poorly physically and struggling to move. The way the day had started, I missed taking my medications for over five hours. By mid-afternoon, I could have been in a very dark place. I wasn’t. I write and teach about controlling our thought lives. I do everything I teach. I wasn’t in a dark place, but I was tired and wanting some encouragement. Most of the time, just being with God is good enough for me. But sometimes we need ‘God with skin on.’ In other words, we need the encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ (Heb 10:24-25). So, I called a dear ministry friend and we talked for a few minutes. He listened and cared without any pity or comparing hurts. When I was done and he had asked a few questions, He asked if he could pray. Indeed, that turned out to be exactly what I needed. The True Meaning of Assembling Together As Heb 10:24-25 says, we are to not forsake our assembling together. We often think of this as attending church. But it also is any time that we get together and lift each other up. We need to have at least a couple of friends that we can and will be real with. They need to support us in our faith. Of course, we need to know that these friends will be discreet. I encourage people to verbalize this need in the form of an agreement. Not everyone will agree to being that friend. Not everyone can be that friend. A Call to Unite in Faith I encourage you to draw close to Him, but don’t try to do it alone either. Assemble together with your congregation and with brothers and sisters in Christ. Encourage one another. Pray for each other. And be blessed. Exploring Deeper Spiritual Insights If you want to understand more about living in Christ during troubled times, you can learn how my wife and I did through my new book, “Blessed Brokenness: Seeing God’s Glory in the Ashes of Life.”
Finding Hope in Struggles: Enduring Challenges and Embracing Faith
Finding Hope in the Midst of Struggles In the mid-1990s, my wife and I were struggling. I would go in the bathroom and crank the song “No Doubt” by Petra over and over with the shower running so my wife didn’t hear me in there sobbing. It says, “This test of your faith will last As long as it takes to pass Till you have no more doubt you’ll endure And you’re faith will emerge true and pure.” Biblical Themes of Endurance This theme is throughout several books of the Bible. In Isaiah, we read about the nation of Israel getting slapped down by other nations. We hear about those other nations getting slapped down. And we read about His love for the Israelites and His desire to restore them as His people. In Jeremiah, we find one of the verses that we find everywhere. “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. .” Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB95) But before that God tells the Israelites that have been drug off to Babylon that they need to settle in and live for they’re going to be there a while, seventy years to be exact. Living in the Present Both prophets and the song I quoted have a common theme. There will be troubles then at some point we will come out on the other side. Jeremiah adds the theme that people should live in the present. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon mentions that we should eat, drink, and work. We should live in the present as the past is past and, in the future, the present will be past. Embracing Life But the focus is not on dwelling on our pain but living and building lives. Solomon even says to enjoy the work God gave you. God’s Timing and Plan The point is that we have had struggles, are having struggles, or will have struggles. Sometimes God will quickly and obviously move on our behalf. Then other times, it may take a little longer. We may end up feeling hopeless and abandoned. Job was patient for a while, but finally accused God of being angry with him. Trusting in God’s Unseen Plan I want to encourage you that even if He isn’t letting you in on the plan, God has one for you. Another line from the song “No Doubt” says, “No doubt in the end it will be understood.” A Prayer for You My prayer for you is of course that you will get through your struggles and find peace by the grace of God. Discover More in My New Book If you’d like to learn more about my journey and maybe get some encouragement on how you can find peace, you can preorder my new book “Blessed Brokenness: Seeing God’s Glory in the Ashes of Life.” It’s due to come out on October 10. If you want to read more about it, go here.
Faith, Mental Health, and Rejoicing: Finding Peace in God’s Presence
How Faith and Mental Health Intersect How do our faith and mental health relate? This is a critical question. As a counselor, I see two base groups that consistently fight the idea of counseling more than any other. These are men and Christians. Our culture tells men that they are to be stoic and strong. Fortunately, the younger generations are seeing less stigma in seeking help for mental health. Christians suffer from thinking that we should be able to handle things because we have God. That’s true, of course. We do have God, but do we always know how to put our reliance on Him into action? Living in Relationship with God If we accept the fact that at the core of our creation is the desire of God to have a relationship with us, do we know how to live in it? What does that even mean? Well, too many Christians listen to an inspiring sermon that maybe even taught us something, but by the time we are driving back home, the very real concerns of the world have taken over our hearts and minds. Living in relationship with God is coming to a place where we know and feel His presence at all times. It’s coming to a place where we can truly lean on Him instead of dealing with the struggles of our lives completely on our own. Faith and Mental Health Alignment It’s clear that good mental health is completely in line with scripture. The word ‘rejoice’ is found in 183 passages in the King James Bible. Understand that we’re not talking about being happy or liking our circumstances. Throughout the Bible, we see the word rejoice as an instruction. It is a deliberate act. It is choosing to focus on Him or something that He has done. Mindfulness and Faith This is very similar to a secular psychologist instructing a patient to be mindful. Where this connects to mental health is that a large number of mental struggles can be directly linked with our thought life. Traumas or difficult childhoods can lead us to believe things about ourselves and the world around us that simply aren’t true. Our lives can lead us to feel that we have to be responsible for every detail. We can come to the point where we feel responsible for others’ feelings. Some people need professional help to break the habits that have plagued them for years. Of course, I am always available to you. But even if you don’t need or don’t want professional help, deliberately rejoicing is not only a Biblical instruction, but it turns our minds and our hearts toward God and positive thinking. I encourage you to join me in rejoicing and pointing our hearts to God. While you do, apply Philippians 4:8 to your thought life.
Finding Purpose and Meaning in Work and Retirement: A Fulfilling Journey
1. Falling into a Career vs. finding meaning in work and retirement Twenty-five years ago, I fell into a career. I had no idea at the time that I would find a niche and become a sought-after expert in a certain aspect of my field. After all, I just went after a position in my company that paid a significantly higher amount of money than my current position. After that, I was both interested in and able to learn the same specialty that launched me into the role of “expert.” So I have come to understand the importance of finding purpose and meaning in work and retirement. 2. The Weight of Discontent The only problem was that I hated every day of my seventeen years in that career. I enjoyed watching machines that I had built or modified. And I loved hearing operators be excited about how much easier their machines were to understand and keep running. But that pleasure was short-lived. As soon as I walked away from the machine or operator and had to take on a new task, the disdain was back. I stayed and deliberately kept moving up both in skill and pay for one simple reason – money. 3. Missing Purpose in Success The point of telling you this is that despite being one of the best in my specific niche, at least in my state, if not the country (and I did travel around the country, helping other factories), I still hated my job. I didn’t feel like I had a purpose. Having a purpose or doing meaningful things is so much more important than we realize. 4. Redefining Retirement When I became disabled, all I could imagine was being stuck sitting on the couch for the rest of my life. It was a very depressing thought! My wife sagely said, “You’re not disabled; you’re retired. You get to choose what you’re going to do with the rest of your life.” Now, I don’t get to choose just anything, as I am disabled. But the beauty of it is that it freed me from living for money to living for purpose. 5. Retirement Statistics: A Wake-Up Call I recently got an email from a coach that I have learned some things from that I plan to implement into new projects soon. He mentioned a couple alarming statistics. First, back in 2001, the Social Security Administration released some research that on average, the sooner you retire, the sooner you die. Another study showed that a full one-third of retirees are clinically depressed. 6. Finding Purpose in Retirement Neither one of these statistics is a surprise to me as a counselor. But they do point to something very important. That is, ‘retirement without purpose’ is bad for you. Added to that, as Christians, we need to realize that retirement per se is not a scriptural concept. In Numbers 8:23–26, we see the only mention of retirement in the entire Bible, New or Old Testament. It says that the Levites shall enter full-time service at the age of 25 and work until the age of 50. At that point, they shall not work any longer. However, it also says, “They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation.” (NASB95) Personally, I find the use of the word obligation to be a tad strange. But, as is often the case, there is no one English word that will truly explain what the Hebrew phrase here means. In essence, they were to quit doing the more laborious tasks, i.e. work. Instead, they were to keep ‘charge’ of the temple. This could include teaching younger Levites or watching to make sure that only those who are clean enter the tent of meeting. The question, then, for you is simple but maybe not easy to answer. What is your purpose? Or what are you doing that’s meaningful? And if you are approaching retirement or already retired, what are you doing or can you do that has purpose and meaning. 7. The Ministry of Retirement The retired years, whether they be from age or disability, give us a fantastic opportunity to minister. The eight years since I became disabled have been the most fulfilling of my adult life, hands down. Of course, as we age or as we become more disabled, we have to adjust what we can do. But there is always some way to have purpose and meaning in our lives. And indeed, I believe that’s what we are called to. Need some help? If by any chance you are struggling with finding purpose or are having any other struggles, feel free to reach out to me here.
Let Go and Let God: Finding Peace Amidst Life’s Chaos
Understanding Christianese Cliches I often talk about what I call ‘Christianese.’ These are Christian colloquialisms. They originated with deep meaning but have become so overused that they have become cliches. We hear them, and probably say them, but may not even truly understand them. Even if we do indeed understand them, do they reach our heart and change our lives? Here are a few examples of what I’m talking about: Examples of Christian Cliches Let go and let God. What would Jesus do? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Also an oft misquoted scripture!) Be in the world but not of the world. This is admittedly a tiny sampling. And I have no intention of addressing in this post the many sayings that we have that are patently false and damaging to an understanding of the Bible and God’s nature. Examining “Let Go and Let God” in Depth The one I want to address today is, “Let go and Let God.” Every time I hear this, two passages of scripture immediately come to mind. First is Philippians 4:4-7. But I also think of Romans 8:26-27. This passage in Romans tells us that sometimes it is difficult to find the words to pray, often because our hearts and our minds are overwhelmed. A Personal Journey with “Let Go and Let God” I recently found myself in one of those situations. A situation arose that tugged on my heart. I had prayed many times about this situation and just found myself at a loss. The natural human inclination to just fix the situation—well, that wasn’t going to work either. I knew full well that there was absolutely nothing I could do. If anything meaningful was going to happen, it needed to be God that handled it. I knew that I was emotionally overloaded by the circumstances and didn’t know how to pray. I was all prayed out. And, despite having prayed extensively, the situation was only getting worse. So, it was time to be vulnerable and allow the Spirit to come in and intercede on my behalf. Imperfection and Teaching Here’s my confession: I struggled to stop thinking. I had to ask God to help me with that too. My head was so busy that there was no way I could hear from Him! I’m sure that of those reading this, the vast majority can relate. I teach people how to lean into the Spirit and how to allow God to be God, and here I was getting in my own way. So what exactly is the point of me sharing this with you? Well, for starters, I’m not perfect. I teach so many different things to help people. When I do, I have to recognize that what I’m teaching may sound simple, but it is often far from easy. I suspect that it often sounds like I have everything down. I think on average, I’m doing pretty well. But I’m still not perfect. Embracing God’s Presence I also wanted to encourage you. I wanted to remind you that we have a God that is bigger than we can imagine and loves you more than you can believe. He is as close as you need Him to be. All you have to do is be vulnerable to Him and allow the Spirit into your heart. It’s a wonderful thing when we apply it. Whatever is troubling you doesn’t have to. Mind you, I AM NOT saying that He will do everything we ask for. But He does care and will help you to find peace in a chaotic and peaceless world. As always, if you need a little extra help, you are welcome to reach out to me here.
Transforming Lives: Upcoming Christian Books and Marriage Coaching Program for a Brighter Future
Introduction: Exciting Upcoming Projects I’m excited to share with you my upcoming Christian Books and Marriage Coaching Program. I have allowed myself to get a little overwhelmed and busy, but it’s all good stuff (at least I think so!). 1. Book Relaunch: “How to be a Christian in Today’s World” First, I’m relaunching “How to be a Christian in Today’s World: Shame or Fear of Failure vs. Living Confidently in God’s Love.” It has a new foreword and back copy, both written by fellow ministers that have read and supported me in my projects. Hopefully, sooner, rather than later, it will be available for sale on my own website. 2. Special Offer for Group Studies Discounts for Church and Bible Study Groups As part of the relaunch, I have decided I will get a discount for any church or Bible study group that wishes to use the book for a group study. It does have a workbook intended to be used over six sessions. 3. New Book Release: “Blessed Brokenness” I’ll also be releasing my second book, “Blessed Brokenness: Seeing God’s Glory in the Ashes of Life.” It is about how God has used the trials that my wife and I have gone through to minister to others and how I went from peace to frustration and then to lasting peace again as related to our struggles. The hope is that it will help readers to find peace in their role in the world and the Kingdom. 4. Audiobooks for Your Convenience In addition, I’ll also be releasing audiobooks of both books, making them more accessible. 5. Upcoming Marriage Coaching Program Lastly, somewhere around the end of the year, I will be launching a 12-week marriage coaching program. A small group of up to five couples will join me for 90 minutes per week to move from fighting and frustration to communicating and love. I am so excited to be doing this! 6. Why I’m Sharing This Why am I telling you all this? Well, I want to make these resources available to you and I’ll be looking for readers willing to leave reviews. And of course, I want to know if you know anyone that would want to be part of this marriage coaching program. Conclusion: Changing Lives for the Better My wife, Kimberly, and I want so much to see lives change and improve. That is the reason behind everything that we do.
Finding Blessings in Blessing Others: A Ministry Journey
1. Ministry as Our Sole Calling Despite being in some sort of ministry for over thirty years, I worked full time to support my family until I suddenly became disabled in 2015. That freed up my wife and myself to dedicate ourselves to the sole focus of ministry. When I say ministry, I’m being very specific in the use of the word ministry. We never set out to make an income, but to minister. I need to be very deliberate here to not sound like I’m bashing ministers that charge for what they do or those that collect a salary. I’m not. I just know what we were called to do. I’m often reminded of the scriptures that say that a laborer is worth his wages. And that holds true today! 2.The Scriptural Foundation of Ministry Luke chapter 9 begins with Jesus giving the twelve authority over demons and the ability to heal diseases. Then he sent them out with strict instructions to take nothing extra. They were to stay with whoever would host them. Then in the beginning of Chapter 10, he sent 70 more out very similarly. He instructs them to stay in one place in each town, eat and drink what they are given for the laborer is worth his wages. The implication in this verse is that those that are being ministered to will voluntarily provide for those that minister. Admittedly, this is a struggle in our culture. The norm is to trade goods or services for money. The Christian culture, including churches, have adopted a very similar mindset. Most pastors have a set salary in exchange for an agreed upon list of obligations. Churches still rely on the parishioners to donate, which has its roots in the Old Testament. Nehemiah outlined the tithe approximately 450 years before Christ. And hopefully, if people feel that they have been ministered to, they will donate, not too dissimilar to the workman deserving his wages. 3. Challenges in Modern Ministry Again, our culture tugs us back to trading money for goods or services. And that’s where I want to touch on the concept of blessing. In the years that we have been focused on ministry, our focus was on blessing people. People have in return chosen to bless us. God promises to provide for our every need and He uses people to do that. He doesn’t need us, but he chooses to use us. More so, He allows us to be used. He allows us to be part of His blessings. 4. Embracing Your Gifts This is where each of us has a role. We all have things to offer. We all have ways to bless others. It’s good to know what your gifts are. What has God made you to be good at? If you don’t know, then maybe taking a Spiritual Gifts assessment would be a good place to start. I said earlier that God allows us to be used. Those that have blessed us in big ways often seemed to get more out of it than we did! So, join me in blessing others.
Choosing Family Beyond Blood and Bonds: Embracing Relationships
Choosing Family Beyond Blood and Bonds I once heard that true family is by choice not blood. Although I strongly believe in the importance of a strong nuclear family, I cannot deny the beauty of choosing family beyond blood and bonds either. Both my wife and I found ourselves in need of foster families at the age of 17. For both of us, those families turned out to be huge blessings. The Importance of a Strong Nuclear Family As I said, I cannot emphasize the importance of the nuclear family. Black conservative commentator, Candace Owens, places the blame for much of the plight of black communities on the breakdown of the nuclear family, especially in inner-city black communities. Studies have shown that children who grow up in single-family homes have a higher rate of being incarcerated and a lower chance of graduating college, whether they were white or black. The Influence of Healthy Mother and Father Figures I believe strongly that both girls and boys need the influence of healthy mother and father figures in their lives. Modeling, or teaching by doing, teaches girls what to look for in men and teaches boys how to treat women. Healthy examples breed healthy adults as a rule, for example. Learning from Positive Examples Through Choosing Family Beyond Blood and Bonds I can’t say that I had healthy examples to learn from at home. When I was in high school, a family that allowed me to be around frequently, even recently telling me that they thought of me as one of their kids, was a wonder to me because I got to see what family looked like. Then, when I was overseas and needed a family to step up and take me in, I spent a year being included as part of a family, and my new parents were often transparent with me, talking about the struggles and opportunities of married life. So, when it came time to act in my own life, I was able to choose which example to follow. Choosing Family Beyond Blood and Bonds: Redefining ‘Family’ Much like the family that had treated me as one of their own when I was in high school, my wife and I have taken in many that we thought of as ‘our kids’ over the years. Some lived with us. In other cases, the parents of these young people knew that when their children needed sanctuary, they were welcome in our home. The young man I proudly call my son once said, “You collect kids like Pokemon!” Cherishing Unique Relationships I still call my “parents” every year on Christmas Eve, and my daughter calls two people who are completely unrelated by blood her Grammy and Grampy. These relationships are incredibly important, as they are the only people that my wife and I have to lean on as parents. And my wife and I thought it was critical that our daughter have grandparents. Unbreakable Bonds The young man that I call my son recently went through some things in his life where he turned to me and said, “You and Mom are all that I have left.” He ends every phone call with, “I love you.” Though we are not related by blood or court documents, and I didn’t meet him until he was 19, he is my son, and I am proud of the man he is becoming. Of course, I still butt in with unsolicited advice whenever I find it warranted. Biblical Perspective on Relationships Colossians 3:1-17 is largely about behavior. It’s easy to miss that verse 1 says, “If you have been raised up with Christ….” In verses 10-11, Paul says that whoever puts on the new self is becoming a new person, no matter their race or creed. Again, in verse 12, he says, “So as those who have been chosen by God, holy and beloved….” Similarly, in Romans 9:25-26, Paul says, “As He says also in Hosea, ‘I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’” 26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” The Commandment of Honor and Love Yes, God plainly instructed us in the fifth commandment to honor our parents (Exodus 20:12). And we should honor them. That does not mean that we cannot strive for healthy relationships. As a matter of fact, the Bible plainly calls us to learn and grow together, as a church we are supposed to be a family, helping each other along the way. In all cases, the central theme is love. As I mention in my book “How to be a Christian in Today’s World: Shame or Fear of Failure vs. Living Confidently in God’s Love,” it is being loved that helps to enable us to love ourselves.
