How Your Tests Are Actually Your Truths.

   3 years is also 36 months, it's also 156 weeks and 1095 days.  Not including vacation time, holidays and my day off each week this is how long I have had the honor of serving at Southbrook Church as Life Groups Pastor.

  It's not been a typical 3 years, nope it's been some of the most challenging time I have ever had in full time ministry. I got to thinking, is there any time in any one's life that is "typical" anymore?  Would it be a good idea to presume that life is never quite normal and that arriving there is more the exception than the rule?  I think so.  So maybe a better thing to do is determine how we are going to respond, and what we are going to learn, and how these challenges are going to make us better and those around us. "Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things." I Cor. 9:24.

    We are measured most accurately under pressure.  What gets squeezed out is most us.  Like it or not.  Sports and more specifically the discipline of wrestling taught me so much. Daily disciplines of how much to eat, what to eat, when I could, showing up at practice, the importance of practicing against guys who were better than I was rather than sparring against guys I knew I could beat. Then there was keeping up with my studies on top of not eating, competing at a high level while not eating,etc. I would like to think I always passed the test. I did not. Sometimes I just didn't have it in me. I would give in and eat. When I would get hurt, but not enough to stop me from practicing, I took a little more time off than the injury warranted. I had some proud moments and not so proud ones. But one thing is for certain - I couldn't fake it.  Everyday in practice or out there on a mat it was just me and my opponent. I would be found out, good or bad. 

 It's also mostly true in life. You might be able to fake others out but why short-change yourself and have to face regret? Use the hard times and tests to find out what you are made of. You are better than you think you are. I dare you to see for yourself.

Who is Holding Up Your Arms?

In the Book of Exodus17:8-16 there is this story of Moses as he is being led by God. He is in charge of getting 1 1/2 million people from Egypt to Israel, on foot, through a desert. Not an easy thing no matter what time in history. These were God's chosen people (disobedient and entitled as they were), and God was with Moses, so they traveled on. 

  As they were traveling, they were attacked by the Amalekites, Moses had chosen Joshua to take men and fight in hand to hand combat, but behind the scenes, God had instructed Moses to hold up his staff for victory, (the very one God did miracles through previously). The problem was that Moses got tired, and when his arms grew tired from holding the staff high in the air, Joshua was losing the battle. When the staff was high, they were winning. WHAT TO DO? Aaron and Hur, Moses' assistants simply stood next to Moses and so anytime his arm started to drop they lifted it up and eventually the battle was theirs. They won because God was with them and because Moses had support. 

 WHAT ABOUT US? What do you do when life is hard, endurance is difficult and surviving seems impossible? You get support that's what you do. You find an "Aaron and a Hur". Do you have faithful/loyal people in your life who will stand with you during really difficult days/trials? Everyone, and I mean everyone needs them. HOW DO YOU FIND THEM? Great question...simple answer. You become one for others you truly care about!! Jump in when needed, don't wait to be asked, and be close enough to someone to know when they are struggling and need your help. Life will become so much more worth living when done together in deep ways.

The Risk and Reward of Getting Out of Your Rut

The church I serve in just finished a month long series called "Un-Stuck", go to www.southbrookchurch.com to listen to all 4 sermons. Before the series kicked off I had this storyboard in my mind of what this looks like for most people, (see the picture below). There are two ways of getting out.  The first way to get out is to steer left or right, hang onto the wheel as hard as you can and not the wheels pull you back in. You have to sustain the direction by holding tight, and before you know it, you are unstuck. The other is to have something/someone bigger and stronger pull you out. 

 But most people fail. Why?

1. It's comfortable and easier.

2. No courage is required, no adventure to be gained either.

3. Everyone is headed in the same direction anyway.

4. Don't like asking for help, or admit we need help.

I find myself getting stuck every so often, sometimes I may not even know I am unless I get perspective/counsel. This year I am sensing God calling me to a year of risk. It's scary to me but exciting at the same time. I love what I am doing, where I live and my life in general. However, Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it to overflow." John 10:10. I want my life to really matter, to not be boring or safe or even comfortable. I admit my flesh wants comfort, but my Spirit knows better. The beginning of John 10:10 says "The thief comes to rob, kill and destroy." I totally believe that and realize that we can be lulled to sleep and lose out on the full life God wants for us. But it takes courage!

 The path most American Evangelical Christians live is too safe and too much like the world. Nice paying job, spouse, kids, comfy house, nice church, friends that are congenial and so on. This is NOT THE LIFE OF JESUS, nor those who live all out for God. I want to desperately steer out of the rut that keeps me living all out for God. Risk is scary to me and I have no idea what this looks for this year, but what looks even scarier is looking back and knowing that I stayed in the Lane that led to an easy life where Jesus might have a hard time saying, "well done good and faithful servant."

The Go To's

Everybody has them. The "them" I am referring to are those "go to items" when you are in needing to get back to a good place. Here's what I mean....

- Verse of the Bible you go to when you are in need of Strength, wisdom, counsel, hope.

- Friend you go to in crisis.

- Move you go to in basketball that no one could stop.

- Place you go to be alone with God.

- Song mix you go to for contemplation, joy or exercise, etc..

- Vacation spot you go to for rest or creating memories.

 You get the idea. 

I have this stack of 3x5 index cards with various scriptures that I have copied down that really meant something at a specific time, or that bring me strength, guidance, comfort or a promise I can trust God for. God's word stands the test of time, and these have helped me out so much that I cannot count them.

Familiar verses like;

 "Trust in The Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:4-6

"The Lord roams about the earth seeking to strengthen those whose hearts are fully His."  I Chronicles 16:9

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

"Delight yourself in The Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength." Philippians 4:13

"Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

"Above everything guard your heart for out of it flows everything." Proverbs 4:23

What are some of your go to Bible verses?

One at a Time and the Great Commission

I remember hearing the story of a little boy who was at the ocean with his family and at the time a huge number of Starfish had been washed ashore covering the beach they were at.  The boy was picking up the Starfish one at time and throwing them back into the sea, his Father watched him for some time and came up to him and said, "Son, you can't rescue all of these Starfish, there are just too many."  The son looked at his Dad and said, "You're right Dad, I may not be able to save them all, but I can save this one".  He bent over and picked up the one closest to him and threw it into the water, "and I can save this one".  And over and over he repeated himself.

  Many, many people say yes to salvation through Jesus Christ, but most don't stay with it.  Jesus even talked about this in the Parable of the Seeds found in Matthew 13, only 1 out of 4 seeds actually produces what it was created for!  In the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 we read that every Christ Follower is to do;

1. Go.
2. Make Disciples everywhere.
3. Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
4. Teach them to obey everything I commanded you.

  I want to focus on #4 - "Teach them to obey everything I commanded you."  I believe with all my heart that every Christ follower should have a mentor/discipler who does what Jesus commanded us.  These were His last words, and last words are usually quite important.  If we discipled everyone who asked Christ to forgive them I think the failure/fall out rate would be drastically lower, Christ followers would be so much more effective and more people would come to Christ as Savior.  Most Christ followers do not even know everything Jesus commanded.  Do you?  Take the time to do a Harmony of the Gospels Study, I recommend Thomas/Gundry's by Moody Press.  Spiritual Reproduction (discipleship) has to occur for Christianity to continue, and learning to apply Jesus' commands and taking the time to teach others what they are and how to apply them is fulfilling the Great Commission.

  My advice to you is first find someone who is young in the faith, go through Jesus' commands in the New Testament together.  Study them and figure out how to obey/apply them and then when you are both done, both of you go find someone else to do this with on your own.  

The True Key to Change

  Resolutions are a good idea gone bad, most of the time. Why? Because they are most often born out of disappointment for things we didn't do, haven't become or wanted for ourselves. So we over react and have these strong desires to turn it around. But...the plan fails most of the time. Why? Accountabilty and adequate support or a lack of it to be precise.

  I know this from experience, from the positive and negative side of things. I will make this short. If it just came down to how badly we wanted to - lose weight, exercise, read the Bible, drop a bad habit we would all succeed. But what you really need is not more want to, instead you need others, you need to form a support/accountability team. 

  Lone Rangers are lonely! Spiritually speaking get into a Life Group, or have an accountability partner. With exercise, don't just join a gym, meet someone (of the same gender) consistently at a specific time that you pre-arrange  and you will succeed. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." If you want to succeed in 2014 where you failed in 2013 don't keep doing the same things the same way and expect different results. Ask someone for encouragement, accountability and or partnership.  Most really good people want to see others succeed.

The Lord Gives and the Lord Takes Away - Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

  The title of this post is a quote from from Job 1:21 and it describes my life this past year. Life is full of change. Some changes are more dramatic than others but change is one of the few constants in our lives isn't it? As the church I serve in has been in transition I have seen many people and staff leave the church.  It's been hard to say the least, I treat church like family and I hate it when people leave for whatever the reasons. If you love others, than you hurt when they are no longer a part of your life on a consistent basis. But the Lord has brought more new people in and is bringing a new Lead Pastor. I am excited for the people and staff of Southbrook as this new era of Godly Leadership begins.

  Tears of joy and tears of sorrow.  Just in the past month I saw my dear Mom pass from this life into the hope she had in Jesus for a life in Heaven. My brother, sisters, my Dad and my wife Karyn were surrounding her when she breathed her last breathe.  It was so very peaceful and I am so glad she is no longer suffering. I miss her and so do the many who knew her.  But tears of sorrow were replaced with tears of JOY as I was literally flying home from my Mom's Memorial Service in Illinois. While I was in the air my oldest daughter Brittany delivered Noah Thomas Rivera into the world as her husband Thomas coached and encouraged her through the birth of their son, which makes me a Grandpa! Talk about the circle of life. As we landed I couldn't hold the tears back, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

  It's the season of family and friends gathering together to sing and celebrate, to participate in passed on traditions or create new ones.  It's also a time to reflect as we look back on one year and head into the next.  I am an optimist to be sure, but honestly I am not sure where anyone can place their hope other than God.  I get it that religion and church politics have turned many away, the holier than thou smugness, the fact that all Christians are hypocrites and that many a Pastor has become a captive to the same form of pride called entitlement that many celebrities, sports figures and politicians get sucked into.

   But....and this is the point to this blog - it is the Lord who gave you life, gave you much to make a great life. And it is the sin of this world that also damages and destroys. Put your hope in God, He is faithful, people are not.  People come and go but the Lord is full of love, compassion, mercy and grace.  Whatever your experience with church or God has been in the past, please know this He is waiting with His arms wide open for you because He is crazy about you. Next year I may not be around to write this blog, you may not be around to read it. Make the most of the days you have!!!  The Lord gives and the Lord takes away - blessed be the name of the Lord!