PATTERNS

After all, our God is a God of detail and pattern. Basically, He created a world of great order and detail. Creation is a testimony to that fact. Detail and order is in our DNA. Everything and everyone is created with the most precise specifications. From the smallest cells to the Milky Way galaxy, it all speaks of God's amazing creative power. Go to the ant and consider her ways, says the book of Proverbs. He, our great God, is behind it all! Ironically, man would rather believe that we are all a result of random chance. Just give it enough time, and something can evolve out of nothing. Kinship does not put man and animal in the same family! LOL! Many believe that we are all the result of random chance given enough time, but that does not make it so. Nothing will take away the mighty creative power of God, whether many believe it or no one believes it. Please consider God's Word when it says He made everything "after its kind". Quickly, realize that dogs beget dogs, cats beget cats, monkeys beget monkeys, and people beget people! Recognize that dogs never beget cats, cats never beget dogs, and monkeys never beget people! Sadly, many believe the lie that there is no God, and we are the chance result of who knows what. The truth of the matter is that there is a pattern to this post, and the first three to notice and post the pattern, I will give you a pat on the back. Unless, no one picks up the pattern. Victory, however, it there for those who have eyes to see. Wise men will recognize the patterns in all of nature as created by our God. X is the unknown quantity in algebra, and is sometimes used in place of Jesus' name (as in Xmas), but I am thankful that Jesus is not the unknown quantity in my life! You should really know Him and His creative power if you don't know Him. Zoos, incidentally, are great places to observe the great detail and patterns that God has placed in this world.

the world's shortest blog

Wait on the Lord. That is what the Bible says. But, I am impatient and really do not want to wait. But, I realize I must. There will never be a victory without the waiting pattern.

This Ship is Made to Sail

We returned from our Caribbean cruise a couple of weeks ago. It goes without saying that we thoroughly enjoyed it. When we boarded the ship, and when we left the ship I could not help but marvel at the size of the ship! The ship was 12 stories tall and quite long. It was like a small floating city. I could not help but draw a spiritual conclusion. The ship we were on was named the Carnival Destiny. The ship was made to be on the high seas. It was not made to sit in dry-dock. It was not made to sit still in the harbor and rust away. Is it not the same with a born-again child of God? God did not save us to have us sit in dry-dock, rust away in apathy and idleness, or waste our lives by not fulfilling our purpose. This ship was made to sail!

Cruisin'

Last summer Faith Baptist Church honored us for 25 years of service at the church. They gave us a bonus which we put away to be able to go on a cruise in the Caribbean. We leave soon for the cruise and everyone in our family is excited. Before we set sail Monday out of Miami, we will rent a car and drive to Punta Gorda, FL. to see Deb's aunt and uncle. Aunt Marge has reserved a tandem kayak for Kaitlin and I to paddle on Sunday afternoon. They say we are guaranteed to see manatees and alligators! The manatees are nice, but I am not so sure about the alligators! Our destinations on the cruise are Jamaica and Grand Cayman Islands. If you have ever cruised, you know the food is wonderful. We are so looking forward to cruising again. We will be praising God for His handiwork in the Caribbean. We trust God to keep you in His richest blessings.

The Cow and the Coyote

I was taking my daughter to her Prairie Home-shcool Co-op the other morning. I jokingly say that their mascot is the Prairie Dogs. Go Prairie Dogs! Of course, her school is about six or seven miles out in the country. Being a city boy, my daughter and I saw something we had never seen before. A coyote crossed the road and went into the pasture where a bunch of cows were grazing. As it got closer, one cow got up and started to chase the coyote away. The coyote, obviously afraid of the cow, ran away like a dog with its tail between its legs! As I drove back home and looked in that field, it became apparent why the cow chased the coyote away. I saw the cow's calves lying down in the lush grass. She was a mama cow protecting her calves! Are there any spiritual applications here? I think so. The coyote is a predator, not unlike our enemy Satan. Satan is a predator who has no love for you or your family. He would devour them in an instant. We should be like that cow, prepared to fight for our spiritual lives, and for our families. Like the words of the song Courageous, we should be spiritually courageous and "refuse to let them fall"!

Obstacles

Life is filled with obstacles and it always has been. If there were no obstacles there would be no stories. Every story has an obstacle or tension involved. If no obstacles, this earth would be heaven and we would be in our glorified bodies living out perfection. I was reminded of obstacles as I paddled Little Bull Creek the other day. In the past, as I would paddle this beautiful little creek feeding into Hillsdale Lake, I would try to paddle all the way to the 215th st. bridge. But, I would always be stopped by a large logjam just short of the goal. An obstacle. Logjams are called strainers by paddlers. A huge obstacle. Last year I noticed how the creek had created another channel and I followed it past the bridge. An obstacle conquered! The other day I paddled and took the alternate channel but found that spring rains had made two more strainers just before the bridge! Obstacles. Doesn't it seem sometimes that life is often "one step forward, two steps back"? My friend puts it this way: "constant and persistent trauma". So what do we do with the obstacles? I believe we just press forward. Because, sometimes it's "one step backward and two steps forward". Press on! Obstacles build character. You're not a failure when you fail, you're a failure when you quit.

Yet He Abideth Faithful!

I really thought I was down for the count! I hate to say it, but my faith was low. I'm a pastor and pastors' faith is never supposed to be low, but it was. Surely, this was it and I was going to 'crash and burn'. But, then I did the only thing one can do at crunch time: pray. I really didn't even know what to pray, but I prayed some feeble prayers anyway. And God did exactly what He promised He would do in II Timothy 2:13: If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful, He cannot deny Himself. My faith was in the tank, yet He remained faithful because that is His nature! God put the pieces back together and I came out of the situation stronger for it! My God is amazing that way! God can take whatever situation you are in and turn it around for His honor and glory.

Out of Season

This has been the mildest winter I can ever remember for this part of the country. It really has not seemed like winter. It is like the weather has been 'out of season' this year. It reminds me of what Paul, the veteran preacher told Timothy, the young preacher: "Preach the Word, be instant in season and out of season." In other words, there are times when it is popular (in season)to preach God's Word, and there are times when it is not (out of season). As a pastor, I must preach whether people accept it or not, and whether it is popular or not. I need to preach what people NEED to hear, not necessarily what they WANT to hear. God, help me to be faithful to do that.
This principle of in season and out of season can also apply to our Christian lives. For instance, we should live for Jesus whether it is in season or out of season. We should do right whether it is in season or out of season. We should pray, study God's Word, and witness whether these things are popular or not!
Are things out of season for you right now? It should make no difference. Do what is right because it is right!

Selling the Store

Today, I am selling the store. Figuratively speaking, of course. Last week in my blog I gave the three reasons I paddle. There is actually another reason that I will divulge this week. The three reasons are: 1. Exercise 2. Quiet and solitude for prayer and listening to music 3. Enjoying God's creation. One reason I paddle and was reluctant to reveal last week is the need to have a diversion that only I (and the Lord) controls! As a pastor, (and I think most pastors can identify with me on this), the church depends on volunteer labor and service.
There are many conscientious servants in church work that do their best and serve from the heart. But, unfortunately, there is always a shortage of workers, and sometimes the service that is given is not from the heart and is not the servants best. There is an 80/20 principle that is true of every organization and business. 20% do the majority of the work, and the 80% let them! In a church situation, it may be more like 90/10! 10% do the work and the 90% are more than willing to let them. And, frankly, the 10% are exhausted!
So, with paddling I do not have to depend on anyone. I can choose the body of water, the reason why I want to paddle that particular day, and how much time I spend on the water. Almost every pastor I know has a hobby, diversion, or an interest in which only they control! One pastor I know has a beautiful garden. One pastor restores classic cars. Many pastors play golf, but I found that I don't have much control on where the ball goes. Another pastor makes beautiful wood furniture. And I paddle. By doing so, I know I will do my best and be dependable.
It probably doesn't help that most pastors are first born, type A personalities with tendencies toward being obsessive compulsive. So, there it is. I have sold the store. I only hope you're buying.

Paddling and Living for Jesus

I only wish I had started paddling my kayak earlier in life. I have always wanted to, but actually started paddling at about 48 years of age. I paddle for one of three reasons.
Sometimes I paddle for the exercise. Paddling is a good upper body workout. One can get out on open water and paddle hard for an extended amount of time. It is great exercise and I always feel better after a good workout.
Often I paddle and listen to music with a cheap mp3 player. I have a couple of dry boxes to keep all my electronics safe and dry. Of course, the idea when paddling is to stay dry and not swim. However, it is a well known fact that if you paddle much, eventually you will end up in the water sometime. There is nothing better than being on the water and spending time worshiping via music and prayer.
And then there are times when I just enjoy God's creation. I have paddled up many creeks that feed into the lakes here in east central Kansas. The best time is right after a rain. I have seen beavers, bald eagles, muskrats, deer, raccoons, and every kind of bird native to this part of the country.
I was thinking that these reasons for paddling correspond to the three areas of the Christian life. Paddling for exercise corresponds to service. Every believer ought to discover his/her spiritual gift and get busy using it to serve the Lord. We are not called to sit, soak, and sour, we are called to serve!
Paddling while praying and listening to music reminds me of our worship lives. Our great God is certainly worthy of praise and worship. If we fail to praise Him, the rocks will cry out. I don't want to allow them to take up the void in my life. I want in on the blessings. We need to praise and worship.
When I enjoy the wonder of God's creation it causes me to know God more intimately. Every beautifully crafted landscape and every wonderfully intricate animal tells me that God loves me and teaches me more about Him. I am reminded of the verse "...that I may KNOW him and the power of His resurrection."

Life Verse

Early in my Christian life I came upon Philippians 1:6. God immediately spoke to my heart and I took this verse as my life verse. Being confidant of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. He began a good work in me (and you) at salvation. And He promises to perform and complete that good work until He comes back again. That is comforting. I preached on a Sunday evening recently "Don't Doubt in the Valley what God Has Shown You on the Mountain". We all face rough times. According to the promise of this verse, God is busy working behind the scenes to perfect and complete us, even when we can't see it. When we can't see God's hand, we can still trust His heart!

The Art of Truly Being Somebody

There seems to be a pattern in the Bible concerning how God works in the lives of believers. We know that God is constantly at work in the life of the child of God, drawing him more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. I believe that Moses is a good example of this pattern of growing into Christ-likeness. Moses lived to be 120 years of age. His life can be divided into three segments of 40 years each. 1. The first 40: Moses became SOMEBODY having grown up in Pharaoh's court in Egypt.
2. The second 40: Moses became a NOBODY on the backside of the desert.
3. The last 40: God showed what He can do with a NOBODY completely surrendered to Him!
It was the last 40 years in which God used Moses to set the people free and bring them to the edge of the Promised Land. Obviously, this was not the hand of Moses, but of God, and He gets all the glory.
I have observed the same pattern in my own life and journey. You may remember winning victory after victory in your early Christian life. It seemed like life was one mountaintop experience after another. You truly were SOMEBODY! But, you may also remember a time when it seemed, like Moses, that you were wandering aimlessly on the backside of the desert. It is a time of tests. A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted. You may be wandering in the wilderness right now. The desert experience is meant to help us die to ourselves. To become a NOBODY. It is only after we die to self that God can use us to glorify Himself. Don't you long for God to work in such a way that it is obvious that we had no part in it-that God's hand was at work mightily, and only He can get the glory. That is the art of truly being SOMEBODY. At the end of the day, I am just a nobody. But what a joy to see God use a nobody to bring glory and honor to Himself.

Tortoise Thursdays

We have just recently got our new church website up and running. Though it is not complete, it is nearly so. You can access the website at faithbaptistosawatomie.com. There is one page that is listed as devotional. We will change that to Tortoise Thursdays, and my post on this blog will listed there. It is called Tortoise Thursdays because every Thursday morning I go to the Tortoise Art Gallery and Coffee Shop in Paola to have a vanilla latte and work on the computer. I will write the devotional at that time. That is pretty much what I am doing right now. The first devotional is based on Proverbs 3 where God's Word says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." We are living in complex times. If we do not acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, we have no hope of maneuvering successfully through the maze of modern life. I remember years ago wanting to take a trip to the east coast. I sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to my spirit and advising against the trip, yet, I went anyway because it was what I wanted to do. In retrospect, it was a trip that I should not have taken. I now can see the wisdom of "lean not to thy own understanding" and "in all thy ways acknowledge Him". You see, our sight is limited to the here and now, and yesterday, but His sight is past, present, and FUTURE because He is already there. God help us to truly "trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thy own understanding" and "in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths"!