Joy

This morning, I was reading Hebrews 1 when I came across a great verse about how God anointed Jesus with the "oil of joy." According to the verse, it was that action that set him above his "companions." 

In John 2, Jesus appears at a wedding feast. The funny part is that they were celebrating, but the wine (which most scholars say represents the joy of the feast) has run out. They were going through the wedding ceremony, but weren't having a lot of fun doing it. Covenant without fun... sounds like most of the Christianity that I observe. 

So, a very simple New Year's prayer for me... and maybe for you.

Dear Father, would you please anoint me with the "Oil of joy." Would you show up and give us some joy in this covenant relationship! I am tired of living like everyone else. I want to experience the joy of serving you and the passion of walking in relationship with you!

Have a Blessed New Year!

The LID is gone!

     We all have a narrative through which we interpret life. 

     Have you ever wondered why one person experiences loss and it becomes the stepping stone to greater things. Yet, another person experiences the same loss, and for them it becomes the turning point into bitterness, failure and misery. 

      When I was a kid, my mom read a book by Zig Ziglar entitled, "See You At The Top." That book was a motivational book to encourage people to look at their problems as stepping stones to a new level. In it was one story that intrigues me.

      Some scientists put fleas in a jar, and put a lid on the jar. Since the fleas could jump high enough to get out of the jar, they would jump, but constantly hit the lid. After a while, the fleas jumped, but not quite high enough to hit the lid. Then, the scientists did a cruel thing... they took the lid off. And you know what happened. Although the fleas could easily jump out of the jar, not one of them did. They had been trained by their past narrative to not jump higher.

      When we come to Christ, we are given total freedom. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2Co 5:17)

      Yet, even though the lids are lifted from our lives, we still live with the old narrative. What would happen, if today, you started listening to and believing the new narrative that Christ has for your life? What if you used the past pains and failures as stepping stones instead of things to crush you and weigh you down?

      

Merry HanaChristmaQuanza Year

     So, if another person says "Have a Happy Holiday" to me, I might just lose it.... sorta like the guy who got out of his truck at the stoplight last night to walk up and yell at the woman in front of him.
     How will I lose it? I think I will probably respond to them, in my nicest and cheeriest voice, "and you have a Merry HanaChristmaQuanza Year."
     If I am called on to be politically correct, why not do it right!!!!!!

Lesssons from LASIK

     I had an incredible gift given to me. Dr. Stahl from Dayton, Ohio has a plan to give a free LASIK procedure to Sr. Pastors. This year, I was his candidate!!!
    The procedure was on Thursday, and it is Saturday. The morning after the procedure, my vision tested at better than 20/20!!!! I can see things from a distance and I can see things up close. Remember that I had been wearing trifocals for over 10 years. And, the last time I inquired about having the procedure, they told me that with nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, I was not a candidate.
     So, here is the lesson. My vision is GREAT, but I find myself walking around the house thinking that I need to put my glasses on so I can see. Over the past 30 years of wearing glasses, I have developed a mental dependency on glasses.
     Similarly, on the road to Damascus, a man named Saul encountered Jesus. At that moment, Saul knew everything about God and the Scriptures. Like any good Pharisee, he had it all figured out and had put on his "glasses" by which he viewed life, God and the Holy Scriptures that he had studied for decades.
     Then, in one "surgical moment" his vision changed. The book of Acts tells us that later, when prayed for "something like scales fell from Saul's eyes." From that time on, his vision changed. It was that same Paul (his new name) wrote things like "Christ is the fulfillment of the law."
     When I talk to people about the reality of the Scriptures being a fully Divine and fully HUMAN book, they often have a change in vision. But, in follow up conversations, I find that they are uncomfortable not wearing the 'old glasses.' 
     Change is never comfortable, and there is always an adjustment period, but I am so grateful for LASIK and for the times when God took the scales from my eyes.

Atheist?

   I was talking to a self proclaimed atheist the other day. By definition, the atheist says unequivocally that there is no God.
   So, I asked this person if they had ever considered the arrogance of their claim to "KNOW" that there is no God. Is it possible for a someone with limits to time and space to comprehend the vast expanses of this universe? Is it possible for someone with a finite human mind, that lives in 3 dimensions (actually I believe we have a 4th dimension, but that is fodder for another blog) to know with certainty that there are no other dimensions in this universe? What if there is a 6th dimension moving among us every day... beyond height, depth, breath and spirit.
     You see, the atheist is claiming to be "god" themselves by claiming that they have all knowledge.
     So, if you know any "atheists," feel free to ask them how they KNOW that there is no God.

Calling a Foul

      I have probably played over a hundreds, if not thousands of games of "pick up" of basketball. This is the kind of basketball where there is no referee and a few guys getting some exercise and having fun.
      At every one of these games, there has been a time when a "foul" happened. There are different ways of handling the "foul" calls. One is to call the fouls committed against you. What happens then is some "primaddona" calls a foul on every shot they miss.
      The best games I have ever had were when there were people of character who called the fouls on THEMSELVES.
      This morning, I was listening to Bill Hybels talk about how to have peace in leadership. He kept using the term that someone has to call the foul. I agree! And the most healthy relationships I have are when each person "self-referees" themselves and calls fouls on themselves when they step over the line.
      Wouldn't that be a great idea in your relationships. Spouse, kids, parents, employer. I think I am going to adopt this language into my own world!