A Culture of Honor at Home

There is nothing quite as fascinating to a child as what can be created with LEGOs. Whatever you can imagine is possible: Vehicles, Building, and even Animals. While the dynamics are quite different, the same can be said of the home. Whatever you imagine is possible...but...you better have a plan.

I have been doing a lot of thinking (and reading) about what it takes to create a "culture of honor" within the church. Then it dawned on me...this can happen in the home! With the right attitude, proper authority within the home, and a little imagination - it's possible.

Matthew 20:25-36, "But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.'"

Is there anyone reading this blog that doesn't want to be great? I mean...at least in one area of life...right? I want to be a great parent. I want my kids to look back on their lives at home and consider those days as some of the best ever. I want them to experience love, peace, and encouragement. With that being said, the only question I have to ask is how to make it happen. The answer I continue to receive is the one most of us don't want to hear: servanthood.

How can I best serve my family?
How can I best serve my wife?
How can I best serve the needs of my kids?
It's the answer to these questions that will allow me to move into greatness.

I have no doubt that some people would read this and say that I have the wrong approach. Most of us have been raised to believe that parents are the lords of the home. While I don't disagree with our lordship - I would disagree with our understanding of it. Jesus taught us that Lordship in a culture of honor takes on a new dynamic. The Lord doesn't mind putting a towel around His waist and washing the feet of His followers. With that view in mind: Can we put aside our "Rights" as parents and spouses to better serve the needs of our family?

These are hard questions. For many of us, just asking them is enough to cause our heads to spin. But just as God created Adam & Eve, provided for their needs, and then gave them some instruction on how to live life; we need to do the same. Are we willing to walk with our families and teach them how to get the most out of this life? Can we sit back and allow them to make mistakes? And when those mistakes are made, do we have enough grace to cover them? This is exactly the way God chose to respond to His creation. Will we do the same?

A culture of honor creates an environment that sustains life. Within this culture those with power learn how to empower those around them. The greatest qualities of this environment are grace, hope, and love. Grace is given to every person every day, Hope is instilled into the lives of every family member, and Love dominates every aspect of family life. Is this possible? Absolutely!!! As long as each of us are willing to submit our families to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Here's what I have discovered: Some of the best LEGO creations (that I have built) had a design to follow. The same is true of the house that I am building with my wife, family, and kids. God gives the design. I just have to follow His heart to create a culture of honor at home.

The Nature of Love

"It is not the nature of love to force a relationship but it is the nature of love to open the way." ~ Papa (The Shack p.192)

Have you ever questioned whether or not God was working in the lives of other people? You know...the ones that you have been praying for that never seem to change. There is one thing that I know for certain: God is always working.

Bill Faye, creator of "Share Jesus Without Fear", talks about this very thing. In his testimony he goes through a listing of people who shared the gospel with him. Most of those people were verbally abused, mocked, and rejected. However, he never forgot the faces or the people that shared with him. In his mind, they were successful witnesses to God. How is that possible? These people were successful because they were obedient.

Friends, I don't want you to ever lose hope when praying for the lost around you. You must trust in the power of the Gospel and the nature of God. God is always reaching out to those who do not know Him. He will never force a relationship on anyone. But every time you come around, every time you share the "Good News", and every time you trust in the Cross - you are opening the way to a relationship.

It seems as though we forget that not every person that came into contact with Jesus chose to believe in Him. In fact...many rejected, many cried out for His crucifixion, and even after His resurrection many still chose not to believe. Yet even in the midst of all this rejection, the way to a relationship was opened.

Take Note of What God Has Accomplished:
> God has reconciled Himself to the entire world.
> God has chosen not to count the sins of the world against them.
> God has forgiven the world already.
> God has provided an opportunity for everyone to be saved.
The death of Jesus has opened the door. What was once only attainable through obedience and sacrifice has been made available through faith in Jesus Christ. The salvation of the lost hinges upon the grace of God at work in the belief of an individual. If they will simply believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and choose to make Him Lord of their lives; they will be saved.

While many of you know this truth, it is good to be reminded of the nature of God's love. All you need to do is be a demonstration of that love. A love that never condemns, never shames, and is ready to accept all of those who come by faith. There is not one person in this world that is outside of the reach of God's love. There is no such thing as a hopeless situation or lost cause. God manifests His love through you, the Holy Spirit does all of the convicting, and Jesus stands ready to save all who call upon Him. That is the nature of love. The question is: Are you ready to demonstrate His nature to those around you?

Get Busy Living...

"If your memories are greater than your dreams, then you're already dying." ~ Kris Vallotton

When I initially read this quote by Kris Vallotton, I immediately thought of Andy Dufresne from the movie Shawshank Redemption: "Get busy living or get busy dying."

When we continually live in the past or with a lack of hope for the future, we have chosen to stop living the life that God has in store for us. Have you ever met someone whose best days were behind them? I'm sure that they never said it in those exact words but by their actions and excitement over the past it seems as though they have stopped progressing.

Consider this:
Are the greatest memories of your life stuck in high school?
Do you think of your marriage in terms of what it used to be?
Did you reach the pinnacle of your faith in Jesus immediately after you were saved?

The Word of God says that Christ in me is the hope of glory. Through my faith in Jesus I am continually compelled to something greater than what I have experienced. I do not have to rest in the success of the past, glory in what has already transpired, or ever consider that my best moments with God are behind me. While I may be able to look back at some awesome experiences, and remember the lessons of the past, I was made for continual revelation in the knowledge of Him. God is so infinite that there is so much more to this life than I have already experienced.

Think about how many moves of God become memorials to what God used to do. I'm a believer in the God who has more to give than what we have already experienced. The book of Acts is not meant to be just a history of the moves of God among the early church. It is meant to be an inspiration to those of us who do not live in that time...a consideration of what God could do in the church of today. I don't believe the apostles considered that we would look back and say "Oh...that God would do that today." I truly believe that Paul, Peter, and the rest believed that our story would be a continuation of what God started in the 1st century.

Let's get busy living. Let's believe that God has more in store for us than what He did in the past. Let's allow our faith to compel us to do more, be more, and experience more than what our patriarchs in the faith experienced.

I believe the words of Jesus: "Greater works than I have done..." The Holy Spirit in me allows me to walk in everything that Jesus walked in and even more. His ministry was to give us the hope of greater ministry. His life was to unlock the potential of the human race when we live in agreement with God's will. He was the forerunner of our faith: the author and finisher. Why not run with Him? Why not believe that God can do more. Allow your dreams to be fueled by God's purpose and plan. GET BUSY LIVING!!!

Here's to seeing God do more in and through you than what you could have ever dreamed, asked, or thought. He is able!!!

Learning to Partner With Life

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue..." (Proverbs 18:21)
"The mouth of the righteous is a well of life..." (Proverbs 10:11)
"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life..." (Proverbs 15:4)
Have you ever considered the power of your words?

According to these wonderful gems from the book of Proverbs, along with other verses found in the Bible, we see the amazing power behind the words that we speak. I carefully chose the portions of Scripture that focused on the positive rather than the negative. The reason for that is quite simple. Most of us have endured the pain of hurtful words. Many have had to overcome word curses, words spoken out of season, or the lack of encouraging words. I want us to learn how to partner with life.

Have you ever seen a child excited to share something with their parents only to be struck down with words of discouragement? Not only have I witnessed this, I have taken part in it. Whether it is purposeful or not, we need to understand that our words can give life or they can bring death. I have also seen people in a church setting that have not partnered with life. Instead...through our condemnation and shame we have kept people from rising up to be who God has created them to be.

Here's what I am learning:
Most people that we encounter don't need words of fresh condemnation or shame. They already have plenty of it. What they need is a fresh affirmation of God's love. When you look at the life/ministry of Jesus, you never see Him trashing those who haven't lived up to their potential. I often think of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Jesus' words to her? "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." This is one of the greatest examples of how we can speak life into those we encounter.

Just the other day I was talking with someone from our congregation. They had went though a lot of difficulty in life. They had made plenty of bad choices over the course of a couple of years. It was in this moment of sharing that they had recognized the position they had placed themselves in. The light bulb had come on and they were now able to see the choices that needed to be made. I simply said, "Well...you didn't commit the unpardonable sin. God has enough grace to handle you." Those few words spoken at the right time (and in the right season) have produced life. The individual called me and thanked me for never condemning or shaming them. It brought great encouragement to know that in that moment I partnered with life.

We have to learn how to speak to the solution rather than the problems of life. Most of the people around us know what is wrong. They simply don't know how to come out of it. God uses our words...at the right time...in the right season...to encourage, edify, and comfort those in need. The question is whether or not we will partner with Jesus and say "Neither do I condemn you..."

Learn how to speak life to everyone you encounter. Allow your words to be a well of life for someone who is struggling. Be a positive voice into all the negative around them. And watch what God accomplishes. Rather than speaking to the hopelessness and discouragement, learn how to point to the hope we have in Christ. I am discovering that most people who are going through difficulty have actually positioned themselves to experience a greater awareness of God's activity. You will be amazed at how the words "I think you are getting ready to experience God's faithfulness" can bring great encouragement to their life. How is this possible? It allows them to stop focusing on the problems and look to the solution.

Proverbs has it right. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. I hope you will start learning how to partner with life.

Determine in your heart to be encouraging.
Make the decision to speak hope into every situation.
Seek to discern the Lord's heart for every person.

Learning to Rest

"Busyness is the tranquilizer of society." ~ Glenn Beck. This quote was used to open a message this past Sunday entitled "The Joy of Resting in God." Psalm 46:10 tells us to "Be still and know that I am God." It is an invitation to stop all of the activity of life and wait upon His goodness. Are you ready to learn how to rest?

In this place of stillness, you come in contact with the Peace of God.
- To "be still" means to cease. It is also used in reference to mending (healing). It is literally a stillness that brings healing. Too often in life we are trying to figure out all of the solutions to our problems. Not only have we forgotten the importance of prayer and reading God's Word, we have lost the ability to be still before Him. You would be amazed at the peace that God can bring when you learn to rest in Him. Trusting Him to be your Provider, your Protection, and your Possession in life teaches you to fall back into His care for the needs of life. God has promised to give you peace. In this place of stillness, peace abounds.

As you learn to rest in God's goodness, you also experience the Person of God.
- To know that He is God...LITERALLY!!! God is good. That statement can stand alone. However, when you learn to cease your activity and watch Him work; you are able to experience a dimension of His goodness that you would normally miss. Your anxiety doesn't move Him. It's not the cries in the night that stir His compassion. It is God's very nature to be good. It is the goodness of God that brings about your provision. But I have found that there are times I have to take my hands off my life and trust Him.

In this place of rest, you also experience the Presence of God.
- Psalm 46 says in two different places that the "God of Jacob is our refuge." The God who blessed a man who was always a wrestler. What I am learning about resting in God is that I don't have to grab hold of Him and demand He bless me. When I understand that "The Lord of hos is with us", I realize that the very God who sent Immanuel (God with us) is working on my behalf. The phrase "with us" comes from the Hebrew word "immanu" - the root of the prophetic name for Jesus - Immanuel. Isn't good to know that God will never leave you nor forsake you?

All of this is possible when we learn to BE STILL. And we will only be still when we learn to cease the activity of life - stop all of the busyness - and meditate before the Lord. Give Him an opportunity to move in your life. Allow God to be God. He doesn't need you to sit on His throne. He is quite capable to caring for you. But you have got to learn how to "clear the mechanism." Stop allowing your mind to wander, and stop trying to figure it all out. God wants to walk with you through every situation in life. All you gotta do is REST.