The Burn of the Words of Christ

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”   (Luke 24:32).

Have you discovered what these men have as they walked along the road with the risen Jesus Christ?  I love Luke chapter 24; it unveils, not only the resurrection of our Lord, but a mysterious drivenness that Jesus orchestrates in the hearts of men with just a few words.  Few people in this life can cause others to stop and evaluate where they are and turn towards some direction with power and passion.  THIS is what Jesus drew out of these two disciples as he revealed what Moses and the prophets had proclaimed centuries before – PASSION.  DRIVE.  

I love to put myself into the shoes of these men…

They had seen events that they never believed they would, the death of their great teacher and master who they KNOW is dead, but the mystery now remains as to where his body must be.  They know they and their fellowship of disciples had not taken the body.  Nor could it be Judas Iscariot, he was found gruesomely hanging from a tree jutting out over Potters Field.  Peter and John couldn’t have done it, they ran to the grave themselves and discovered only the clothing and the napkin there, and were just as shocked as the women who discovered the empty tomb.  Then there was this “angel” business these women spoke of.  Is Mary hallucinating in her grief?  Could she have seen a ghost?  What do these things mean?

A stranger approaches and inquires what they are talking about, and they fill Him in on all the news of Jerusalem, questioning whether or not he’s been hiding in a cave to not hear of these strange happenings.  And this stranger begins to speak of the things of old, the prophets and Moses!  He intricately and carefully begins to fit the events of their missing Lord’s life into the prophesies of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.  Pieces begin to fall into place like a jigsaw puzzle and their hearts begin to burn.  The prophets spoke not just of deliverance from oppressive governments like the Babylonian or Roman Empires, but spoke of deliverance from sin and death!  Man’s way isn’t God’s Way!  EMMANUEL MEANS “GOD WITH US – JESUS!”  Though this man has such vast knowledge of the scripture, it still has not dawned on them they are walking and talking with their Lord.  But can’t you see the look on their faces as he speaks?  The lights coming on over their heads?  The goosebumps rising on their skin?  And then, as the stranger begins to leave off from them, they invite Him in to their home and as He speaks to the Father, blessing the bread, Jesus Christ their Lord is revealed!  Unfortunately, He disappears as quickly as they recognize Him.  They turn to eachother, knowing the other has never felt so alive, and so full of purpose, their hearts BURN within them!

When was the last time you felt alive?  Full of purpose?  I remember the first time I made a true decision for God, it WASN’T when I was saved, it was a decision based on being sick of myself and who I’d become.  Nothing else had worked for me, but I knew that God had promised in His Word that if I draw near to Him, He would draw near to me.  That if I searched for Him with all my heart, I would find Him.  So I decided to test Him, to truly throw my heart into Him.  And that decision (as far as I knew then) meant attending church and serving faithfully, and also reading His Word.  I would start there….I would believe Him that much…I would draw near to Him (the only way I really knew how then), and Jesus drew near, not revealed immediately, but He was there, and when He was recognized, as my Lord, my Savior, I was set on FIRE and haven’t been the same since.

 

   

When Peter Forgot Worship

Yesterday on the way to work, I heard the song “Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns.  It reminded me of a time when the movie “Facing the Giants” had first come out.  The ideas both the movie and the song conveys helped me to meditate on Peter, as he stepped out of the boat towards the Lord Jesus Christ amidst a storm.  Isn’t it amazing how we can hear a sermon or a Sunday school lesson so many times but never get the point?  God uses Life experiences to drive home the lessons that will make us just a smidge more like Jesus.  Come to think of it, that’s how Jesus taught His disciples…through real life experiences, but that’s for another blog.

There are situations we dread aren’t there?  Situations come up in life that we fear, or that make us nervous, or we would just rather not face altogether.  These experiences may not always be the same for everyone.  Me admitting to my boss that I jacked a project up scares me to death, but to another person, admitting mistakes to their boss might just be another part of their job.  I hated the feeling of cowardice I felt when friends or family pressured me to ride an amusement park roller coaster; but someone else might just blow off the jeers and teasing and go ride the Himalaya without a second thought.  In Matthew 14:22-33, Peter and the apostles of Christ were all facing something they’d rather not deal with – a storm which threatened to sink them.

I tried to put myself into Peter’s sandals as wave after wave crashed into their boat, threatening to sink them.  Perhaps he is doing his best to secure a sail when he looks up and sees what he believes must be a ghost coming toward the boat on the surface of tempest waves.  Then the ghost shouts over the waves, “Do not be afraid!  It’s me, Jesus!” 

I don’t imagine Peter believed this at first, but he had seen great things from Jesus before.  Back on the shore he had just witnessed and helped Jesus Christ feed at least 5000 people with two fishes and 5 loaves of bread, he had never expected this miracle as he began to pass his basket of fish or bread on to the next hungry person, and the next, and the next, until he finally lost count and the laws of supply and demand were completely defied.  If Christ could do that, surely he could walk on water.  Peter decided it was worth his life to see if it truly was Jesus; he would rather be with Jesus, his master and teacher who he loved, then be in this boat, afraid of sinking.  “Lord!  If it really is you!  Tell me to come to you!”

“Come!”  Christ commanded.

Peter is thrilled!  It is the Lord!  I must be with Him, I must go to Him now!  He throws a leg over the stern of the boat and feels solidity under his toes.  He throws the other leg over and lands flat footed on a foamy wave dissipating into a larger sea.  His eyes fix on Jesus, and he begins to walk, one foot in front of the other into the darkness where only Jesus is. 

Peter’s teacher is out there, making this possible.  He is waiting for Peter to take his hand in fellowship, loving Peter so much because Peter trusted him enough to do the impossible – walk on water – just to be with Him.  Peter is worshiping God through this act of faith.

Then perhaps a wave slaps Peter in the face - cold, wet, and shocking - and he begins to examine his surroundings, looking distracted.  Peter looks down at his feet, among waves of darkness, he looks back and sees the boat which is being tossed like a toy in the water, waves continue to slap his body and fear suddenly grips his heart. Peter realizes he is no longer standing, he is sinking!  And like so many of us do when we realize we are in over our heads (whether we believe in God or not), Peter screams  ”Save me, Lord!”

And Jesus is there…

What would have happened if Peter would have made it to Christ, undistracted by the chaos about him and just desiring the satisfaction, pleasure and glory of Jesus?  We may never understand what we do so many times in our frantic attempt to observe and solve our problematic situations (or ordinary everyday situations for that matter).  We would be so much better off if we would just seek the solutions through the heart of our God; look for His pleasure because He is God and He loves us, and just wants our love in return.  What would happen if we found a solution and asked ourselves, “Would this please Jesus?  Is there another solution that would please Jesus even more?”  This glorifies Jesus, this magnifies His greatness:  When we take what seems big to us, and make it small through our love (our worship) for our bigger God.

 

 

Having Financial Peace, the Flu, Termites, and a New Outlook on Prayer

I thought I was going to sail through the flu season this year with no problems.  Be one of those lucky (or blessed) few who in the middle of March start bragging that I didn’t catch “the bug,” as though I had something to do with it.  About half the people I come in contact with on a daily basis has had this stuff at one time or another over the past month and I was feeling pretty good, until it hit me 2 nights ago.  Now it’s all I can do to stay out of the bathroom today, though the chills have finally left me.  Hopefully my body is just flushing out the sick from my body.  Despite my sickness, I’m happy to announce Karen and I have met one of our financial goals in paying off the first bill of our “debt snowball.”  A doctor bill that I incurred at the emergency room 4 or 5 months ago, next is the student loan, which has been hanging around so long it’s like a pet.  If the government isn’t lying to us about the “stimulus package” check that we should be getting around the end of May, that nasty thing will be paid off as well; freeing up enough money to hopefully have our truck paid off two years early.  Once all this happens, we will finally be able to start saving up for a real house, while repairing this one at the same time.  Speaking of, we’ve started painting!  Those of you have been here know that’s a huge step for us.  With all the repairs we’re doing, we have had to call a couple of exterminators, lest the termites eat away all our new work, who have quoted us anywhere from $1500 to $1700.  They’ve offered to finance us but we have promised ourselves never to borrow money again unless it’s for a house, so I guess a new envelope will have to be made called “Death to Termites.”  It may take another year to save up enough money, but we will not be saddled with another monthly payment right now.  Orchin Man thought I was nuts, maybe I am. I’ve been studying a lot on prayer lately.  I realize I am missing a lot when I’ve prayed before.  Using God’s name as “Lord” about 50 times in one prayer, but not really praying to anybody.  I’m almost convinced that teenagers pray better than adults every time they bow their head.  For some reason, once we reach adult hood, a lot of us, especially men, stop being personal.  We start putting on the tough guy facade, and pray in the same way.  We are very vague when we pray, “bless this, and bless that,” “bless preacher and his family, bless our church family,” “take care of the sick,” “bless those that are faithful,” and don’t forget the magic phrase we use just to remind God He has to answer our prayers we say, “in Jesus name, Amen.”  I’m convinced that prayer is more than that, and have been learning that as well.  I’m hoping to teach what I learn in our church to a group of men, but am nervous about it.  I’m so much younger than the men who I think would take this seriously.  Nevertheless, today in my devotions I read Jeremiah chapter 1 as this “fear of man” was on my mind.  In it Jeremiah quotes God as saying,    ” Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’       For you shall go to all to whom I send you,       And whatever I command you, you shall speak.        Do not be afraid of their faces,       For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. So, I am going to teach, humbly, but also enthusiastically I hope, enough that God inspires and we start praying and leading our church and community and even more into revival.

Banjara For Christ 2007-2008 (Day 8)

Our teaching sessions ended this evening.  I almost hated for them too, the lessons I mean.  I’ve had so much fun teaching the Pastors of Banjara.  They are so attentive to what I have to say.  To what we ALL have had to say.

Steve has taught all his lessons on church planting, and they are not what a person might expect.  I know I was surprized at what he is teaching; though I don’t know why, all he taught we’ve discussed before.  I guess I had just forgotten what I once had learned.  Steve taught starting churches “the Master’s Way.”  Through a “person of peace” and then after that, theach them to observe those things that I was teaching about, disciplines through the wheel. 

“The Master’s Way” of discipleship is what we called my portion of lessons.  These were ALL methods in which Jesus showed his disciples during his time with them on earth.  Taking in the Word, praying, fellowship, and witnessing centered around the person of Jesus Christ.  All of these of course come after we surrender our lives to Him.  I went through a wheel illustration made up by Dawson Trotman, teaching the four very basic disciplines that every follower of Christ should have.

Richard’s been teaching personal evangelism, “witnessing the Master’s Way.”  He showed us how to use the Ten Commandments as a school master to show us our sin and how to use tracts as a witnessing tool.  He was nervous, but he did just great…I was nervous too.  We found that most of our lessons came across really well any time we involved the men in our exercises in a role playing fashion.  They played in skits, they drew pictures, they laughed and at one point I cried.  Once I had 5 of them laying in the floor piled on top of eachother to tell a parable Jesus taught about prayer.  These times were so precious and the Lord provided so much to say.  I can’t express my joy at these new and old friends we have made.  They are so open and honest and lively.  I love their culture.

Tonight was a night for singing and dancing.  Steve got some of it on video.  It was a lot of fun.

We just finished dinner with a Catholic priest who owns the hostel we’ve been staying in.  It was a fine meal but our normal Indian friends were not around.  Tomorrow we get to sleep in, which is a blessing, and then we have one last service to say farewell and then we are heading home.  I’m ready.

3rd and 4th Spoke – “Fellowship and Witness”

Point 1:  “Staring At The Threshold”

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.  (Romans 10:1)

Imagine lying at the door of Death.  It is inevitable that you will be going through that door, sooner than those around you.  Maybe you have a disease, the doctors won’t tell you much, other than you do not have much time, and there’s nothing they can do to help you.  You are staring at the threshold of Eternity, not standing at it, mind you…you have time, but only by the grace of God.  But you don’t believe in God, at least, not Heaven and Hell anyway….that’s what you’ve told yourself, but you always pray to Christ for forgiveness and peace when the going gets REALLY rough. 

Now, here you are, scared because you might be wrong.  You don’t know of course, who can?  Yet you will find out sooner than anyone else.  If you are right, you will close your eyes and fade from existence; this life being all you had.  If you are wrong?  If you choose not to believe what that close Christian friend told you about Christ or what that stranger said when he told you about the death and ressurection of Jesus, just for you, what then? 

Such is the attitude I need to have towards those who do not believe in Christ.  If they HAD TIME to choose, to look at deaths door, what would they choose?  What if they had no idea what was on the other side?  What if you were the only person to help them decide – Heaven by believing or Hell by ignorance?  If I could just get a glimpse of most people this way, would my uncaring attitude change?   People who scoff at the LORD, those who hear the Good News and refuse to believe, may change their tune if they just knew the end was coming.  If I can take this attitude, would I ever give up praying for them, no matter how cruel they treat me or who I stand for?  Or would I just not care because of their indifference?  If God were to give them all the grace, just one more day, one more hour, then I should try to picture what that person may do if he or she stood at the threshold of Eternity.  God forbid, they should reject the witness of our Lord in love, and step into Hell, after my heartfelt warning and affirmation of Christ’s love towards them!  But some will, we just can’t give up hope until hope is gone…because as long as God gives that person the grace to take one more breath, he may also give them one more breath to choose to follow Him and believe that He is Lord. 

For my fellow believer, my attitude changes towards you as well if I can take this attitude towards the unbeliever; because you are united with me in a cause if you share the same burden.  We have a common goal, to love the world one soul at a time that our Lord will be glorified.  I will help you, you will help me, and “fellowship” continues.  And my-”uncaring attitude” towards people besides myself, ends.  May we all “stare at the threshold” before we have to walk through it, for ourselves, but most importantly-for eachother.

The Wheel – 3rd Spoke “Fellowship”

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;”   James 2:8 

I have come to a critical juncture in my discipleship training…fellowship.

I think I’ve admitted once before, I’m kind of a loner.   I could hang out in the mountains (or anywhere else with solitude) with my family and really be okay for quite some time.  But it has been brought to my attention that no man is an island, and the Lord intended communion with others.  The Lord had fellowship with Adam in the garden.  He also saw that Adam was “alone” and created Eve.  Loneliness was the first thing God ever deemed “not good.”  Now I have to deal with crucial aspects of my own heart.  Things I’ve put off because “well, that’s just me.”  That’s not going to fly anymore.

I’m trying to get down to the core as to why I push people away.  Or maybe not push away, but take on a nonchalant attitude about them.  Is it just easier?  Am I afraid of getting hurt?  Is it me, me, me?  Or have I finally just come to the point to where I have to admit I’m more selfish than I am loving?  Maybe I’ve put a wall up for so long that I just don’t care.  I’ve only cared about me and what’s on my side of the wall (family, close friends, my interests) and have made some kind of conscience decision somewhere just not to get involved with anyone on the other side of the wall I’ve put between them and me.  Even fellow believers are on the other side.  The Lord has tugged at my heart all day since yesterday about this. 

Pastor’s sermon was on ”What’s the desire of your heart?”  Sunday morning.  He asked us to make a mental list of about 10 things that we had on our top most desired list.  I jotted down 5 real quick, thinking this was going to be a “God giving the desires of your heart” sermon.  What was on mine?  Well, let me just share the first 5 with you and see if you can guess where my heart was.

1.  A good, well built, clean, house that’s not been torn up by termites

2.  Poison Ivy that has festered all over my right foot to be healed and just GO AWAY!

3.  To be debt free.

4.  Go on vacation w/out worrying about money

5.  To go to India w/out worrying about money   

Sounds bad doesn’t it?  Paul’s heart’s desire was that Israel might be saved.  Mine was, well…

I took notes on the rest of the sermon and planned on going over them all day long today, but something always got in the way.  I always found something better to do than focus on this problem I have within myself.  I must learn to love people the way I love myself, and Pastor Steve gave some tips on how to do that in his sermon.  Over the next few blogs I’m going to go over those tips and write a little bit as to how they apply to my life.  Maybe as I write them down I’ll start to see that somehow the Lord through His Spirit will start providing a new love for just people in general, believers and non believers alike.  Because I really believe that is the root of the problem, just not loving people in general, and being too wrapped up in my own life.  Comments always welcome.  God bless.

The Wheel – The Second Spoke “Prayer”

Very recently I’ve been what I would have to say “cautiously optimistic” about my prayer life. 

I have tried to incorporate the teachings of Dawson Trotman’s illustration into my own life as I train in a life of discipleship in Christ Jesus.  Prayer has never been a strong point in my life, despite my own efforts and desire.  Personally I’m not sure that I really understood the need for it.  I always believed it to be a request for resources, rather than a need for communication between me and the Lord.  Many times I felt unworthy…after all, EVERY SINGLE TIME I knelt in prayer I was asking for something.  So what’s the point? 

Even further study has revealed there is so much more that happens through prayer than a request for resouces.  More than I have ever realized.  I’m viewing prayer now as “a battlefield.”  I’m sure more insight will come later on, but my reasons for seeing it this way are two fold (for now).  First, I can’t be everywhere at the same time.  Physically my body MUST be in one space at any given time and I can only do so much for any other person.  But God is everywhere, sees everyone, and can do anything.  If I pray for someone’s health in India – God can meet the need.  If I pray for the Holy Spirit to move in Henryetta, OK – God can meet the need – even if I can’t.  Secondly, God is depended upon wholly in prayer.  Think about it – if he’s not depended upon – why bother?

The whole reason for prayer is to ask God to move in some way shape or form.  The very act of praying means that I am acknowledging there is a God out there and He is capable of anything asked (as long as I am not asking amiss).  I have faith God can do what He says in His Word (remember the first spoke), so I speak to Him.  Not asking resources for MY life, but in most cases lately, asking resources for OTHERS!  

As long as I am praying His Word, I know I am praying His will.  In praying his will I can be praying expectantly.  Yes – this certainly is a new attitude and fire I have found thanks to the grace of God, and I plan on it changing my life.  I have more thoughts on praying God’s Word from the Bible that I’ll write later on.  God bless everyone.

The Wheel Part 1 “Christ the Hub” cont.

One more thought on “Christ the Hub” of our wheel. 

I’ve been reading a book called Releasing The Rivers Within by Dwight Edwards.  Wow!  I mean, wow!  If anyone loves the Lord, and truly wonders how they can do all we’ve been discussing but still not have that joy; this book is for you.  It goes right along with having Christ as not only the strength of your life, but the SOURCE.  The only place in which the Rivers of God’s Spirit can fill you and overflow is from Jesus Christ Himself.

Oh, have I learned that the hard way these past weeks.  It’s been some time since I’ve written in this journal, but it is not as though the Lord has not been working.  Circumstances always come about in which God will stretch our faith, and we’ll learn just as Jesus taught (real life circumstances) if we’ll just look for Him.  Beware of sins just under the surface of your life.  Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (I Cor 10:12).  We can be doing all the right things in life…praying, reading our Bible, reading good devotional books, Sunday School, special areas of ministry in the church; but there amidst the business, we lose why we’re doing all those things.   Our motivation starts out right, our thought process might even stay right, but then, something happens.  Maybe a disappointment that leads to bitterness takes place, yet because all the right activities are still being done – we still do all that we’ve set out to do, so we assume all is well; yet something’s changed…bitterness and judgemental attitudes creep in, disguised as righteous-indignation.  BE CAREFUL about using that word…the next time you use words like “righteous indignation,” you may do a serious reeevaluation of your life.  Here’s a thought I never really thought of before these past few weeks, consider there is a possibility you MIGHT be wrong.  Until humility is found in this instance, doing all those activities seem to be a bummer…a drudgery.  That is, until I got tired of doing the drudgery and just wanted God.  I JUST WANTED GOD.  Does this make sense?  The key now is to continue JUST WANTING GOD.  Doing all those activities I mentioned before not for the sake of doing them, but for the sake of being with and loving God because I love Him. 

Let me use another example…

Tonight my younges son came running to me from the craft table at Vacation Bible School.  The little man was holding a foam cylinder with little foam soccer balls stickers all over it.  It was the first time today Trevor had seen me.  “Look what I made you Daddy!”  It was a coozie…I think that’s what they call em…you put em over your pop to keep it cold.  Anyways, he gave it to me…told me to put my can of Diet Pepsi in it, gave me a kiss and a hug and a big smile!  He wasn’t told to make it for me, he just wanted too.  He loves me, so that’s what he did.  The action of making it wasn’t JUST to make it…it had a purpose, and that purpose was for the one he loves. 

So it should be with us, His diciples…lovingly making our devotions and studies to our Father, because we love Him, and for no other reason but that. 

The Wheel – The First Spoke “The Word”

Blessed is the man that walks not in the council of the ungodly,  nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates both day and night.  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.  (Psalm 1:1-3)

It’s the only absolute, positive sure way we can know God’s will.  What disciple can have Christ as the hub of their life and not have a daily, conscious effort in studying God’s word?  The Bible, The Word, Jesus Christ himself (John1:1-5) is available to us in America on a daily basis and as a disciple (a real live, submissive learner of Christ) we must STOP and read His Word.  Soak it up, sop it up, read it up, breathe it, eat it, however you want to call it, just READ IT. 

In our example of the wheel (one of these days I’ll have a picture of it on here) “The Word” is the uppermost spoke.  Coming down from the top of the Wheel to the hub of the Wheel.  Signifying “The Word” (notice I didn’t say “The Voice?”) comes down to the center of our lives from an upward direction.  From Heaven – to us.  

Now, I for one, know how things go.  We think we know God’s opinion of something.  We think we know how God will feel.  We just assume because “we grew up in church” or “that’s the way I’ve always believed” that our beliefs are the gospel truth.  SO WE DON’T EVEN BOTHER PICKING UP A BIBLE?!  The other day a friend asked me “but don’t you believe there’s good in all people?”  No I don’t.  It’s unbiblical –  and that’s a Star Wars, Luke Skywalker philosophy we somehow picked up when we started swinging around our imaginary lightsabers to take the arm off some alien (some “good” huh?).  Only God is good, the rest of us have just been given grace to follow Him or had someone in our life that led us down a path to Him or His Law or His Ways.  The Bible says “ALL our righteousness is like filthy rags.”  (Isaiah 64:6).  It’s not that I’m a grouch and against all things not specifically laid out in the Bible, but where do we draw the line between our knowledge and God’s?  Why are we even wondering when it’s right there for us to pick up and look for ourselves?  Even as Christians we’re guilty of not consulting God first and assuming we know His heart.   (Isaiah 55:8) 

As disciples of Jesus Christ, hiding the Word in our hearts, reading it and studying it should be one of the first commitments we should make to our Lord.  To not do so, would make one wonder if Jesus is your hub, the center of your wheel, your life.  Pray that the Lord give a desire in your heart for more of His word.  It will be one of the best prayers you ever prayed. 

The Wheel Part 1 “Christ the Hub” cont.

After more in depth study, I have somewhat to add to my own thoughts on Christ being our hub.  That is, Jesus being the center of the Christian’s life.  Let me emphasize, he should be the center of ALL Christians life. 

Jesus should be the motivation for any and all choices of life that we as God’s children can possibly make; yet that alone could not possibly be enough.  If motivation was all it took we would all fail miserably.  I’m afraid I myself have learned this the hard way.  Most Christians would LOVE to do well by Christ.  They WANT to share their faith, they WANT to serve the Lord, Christ IS their motivation and they set out to do what they are motivated to do because of Jesus Christ, yet they come up short, they get discouraged and they quit. 

Even now I’m watching a movie on television starring Anthony Hopkins who played the apostle Paul, in “Peter and Paul.”  John Mark just admitted to Paul he “wants to go home,” so he does, heartbroken that he just didn’t have what it takes.  How many of us feel the same way?!  We have a strong burning desire to do a God size task and we go about it only with Christ as our motivation, but that’s all. 

Jesus cannot JUST BE the center of our actions, he also must be the center of our strength!  And there is plenty for both, motivation or source but also our strength.  Without the strength of Jesus, the endurance and patience he has, it is impossible to do anything concerning Christ without Him (and be successful).  Jesus Christ said it Himself, “Without me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)  How do we make Him our strength?  Stop depending on yourself, admit the tasks that God has given you are too big for you and just do them knowing God will take care of whatever need you might have in the midst of His work. 

When I was in India last year, speaking to a room full of pastors who were taking notes and paying far more attention than what I thought the teaching I was giving would be worth; I was struck (nearly every time) with a fear I can’t begin to describe.  I wanted to quit, I wanted to go right up to pastor and tell him “I can’t.”  Yet I realized something, I was at this time completely helpless, I got on my knees and prayed to God and told Him I wanted to quit, I couldn’t take any more and I was ready to go home.  You know what answer I got….nada.  So I taught anyway, afraid and depending on God the whole time.  Knowing that “His Word would never return void.”  I realized then that God was my source of strength.  Yet one more way in which I was making Him the “Hub of my wheel,” the center of my life. 

Who is your motivation?  Who is your strength?  Who helps you get through?  Wife?  Husband?  Kids?  Friends?  Is it Christ?  I pray it is…God Bless.