The view from a friend's backyard…my house is somewhere down below in that valley.  Great place to be for a time yesterday afternoon…

Posted via email from A Mile From The Beach

⁴ “In those days, at that time,”
declares the LORD,
“the people of Israel and the people of Judah together
will go in tears to seek the LORD their God.

⁵ They will ask the way to Zion
and turn their faces toward it.
They will come and bind themselves to the LORD
in an everlasting covenant
that will not be forgotten.

Jeremiah 50:4-5 (NIV)

It took a 70 year exile to Babylon for the nations of Israel and Judah to realize their errors in living lives apart from God.  For many of us today, we live in self-imposed exiles to our own version of Babylon, worshiping our own idols of money & materialism before discovering the ueslessness of such an endeavor.  I know for me, that realization was a difficult one, and I too, went “in tears to seek the Lord”

Thankfully it didn’t require a 70 year exile.  And I’m happy to have bound myself to the Lord today.

How are YOU in exile?

::

^25-27God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
to stick it out through the hard times.

^28-30When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The “worst” is never the worst.

Lamentations 3:25-30 The Message

It was about 4 years ago that I first read this passage in The Message paraphrase of the The Bible.  And it’s taken me nearly that long to get to a point in my life to “enter the silence” and to “bow in prayer”.  For too long in my faith journey I tried too hard to do things on my own, never waiting, never patient, and certainly, never praying.

Today I’m at the point where I am comfortable taking a pause in my day to pray and enter the silence.  I will sometimes drive with the stereo turned off in the car just to quietly pray while driving.  Or I will take a walk during the day at lunchtime and allow myself to enter the silence.  I continue to learn to passionately wait for God.

Are you having a hard time entering the silence?

::

¹ Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. ² Then the word of the LORD came to me: ³ “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? ⁴ Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet, I the LORD will answer him myself in keeping with his great idolatry. ⁵ I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’

Ezekiel 14:1-5 (NIV)

There is just no escaping the themes of idolatry throughout the Bible, especially in the Old Testament.  Just as the Israelites had idols going back to the golden calf during the Mosaic age, so were there plenty of idols being worshiped during the times of the kings in the pre-exile days.  Whether Baal or Asherah poles or any other idol, the Israelites found it easy to separate themselves from any semblance of a relationship with God.

And yet God continues to pursue the people who have left him for their idols.  He did that thousands of years ago, and he is willing to do that for you and me today.

Are you willing to have God recapture your heart from the idols in your life today?

Posted via email from A Mile From The Beach

¹⁰ 'If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you. ¹¹ Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. ¹² I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.'  ¹³ "However, if you say, 'We will not stay in this land,' and so disobey the LORD your God, ¹⁴ and if you say, 'No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,' ¹⁵ then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, ¹⁶ then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.

Jeremiah 42:10-16 (NIV) and if you say, 'No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,'

When I was praying to discover whether my family and I should stay in the church where we are, this was the passage that I was directed to.  This was during a time of transition when our church was in the process of being merged with another. 

What's so significant?

Just as God warned the Israelites to remain in Judah and not escape to Egypt, He reminded me not to leave my church and escape elsewhere.  I would find similar problems elsewhere – there was no escape from the the problems – and He had a plan for me and my family where we were.  This was confirmed in multiple ways, from the kids saying how much fun they were having in their Sunday school classes, to the love my wife had (and continues to have) for the older women in the congregation, to the relationships that I forged with other men in the church. 

It was yet another reminder that God will speak loudly and clearly when we ask Him for guidance.

Posted via email from A Mile From The Beach

Feeling a bit Lost?

Perhaps you are on the Fringe of your Community?

Do you feel like you need an Alias, hiding yourself because you are ashamed of something you did in your past?

Maybe it was getting drunk on the Cheers received under the Friday Night Lights,

Then again, perhaps you took too much Glee in the demise of a colleague at The Office.

It might be time for an Extreme Makeover on your life.

Read the words of God to the prophet Jeremiah:

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

 

There’s no need to feel lost on the fringe of your community. You don’t need to hide behind an alias. You can remove whatever arrogance that might have come from the cheers of success or the glee at someone’s misfortune.  God’s extreme makeover is simple; rest in the hope that comes from Christ, because God’s plans for you will overcome whatever issues you’ve got right now.

Posted via email from A Mile From The Beach

God never calls us when we think we’re ready.

He calls us because he says we’re ready.

Because he says we’re ready to obey.

Look at Jeremiah.

 

⁴ The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew ^[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”

⁷ But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

⁹ Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth.”

Jeremiah 1:4-9 (NIV)

Jeremiah didn’t think he was ready. But God thought otherwise, since he promised him that “I am with you and will rescue you.”

I didn’t think I was ready to preach a sermon last year. God thought otherwise.

I didn’t think I had time to lead a men’s small group.  God thought otherwise.

I didn’t think I could coach a girl’s soccer team.  God thought otherwise (and now we’re 8-1 with one game to play).

I didn’t think my blog would garner much attention.  God thought otherwise and opened a door for me to write an article for a Christian website about small group ministry.

Are you ready to follow His call?

After all, we get another reminder in Jeremiah 10:23, as part of Jeremiah’s prayer:

 

²³ I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own;
it is not for man to direct his steps.

 

Are you ready to realize that your life is not your own, and to allow Christ to direct it?

Posted via email from A Mile From The Beach

⁸ Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me?
No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”

⁹ All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame.

¹⁰ Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit him nothing?

Isaiah 44:8-10 (NIV)

Why is it that we confuse needs and wants?  Yes, I need that new guitar.  Even though I bought a brand new guitar 3 months ago (acoustic electric classical), I now need an acoustic electric steel string guitar.

I’ve started to confuse want of another guitar with a need.  Oh sure, I could rationalize the “need” – I “need” the new guitar because it plays faster.  I “need” the new guitar because it has a Stratocaster neck.  I “need” the new guitar because it is not that which I already have.

I need my job.
I need my house.
I need my cars (1 minivan, 1 sedan)
I need to eat.

::

At various points in my life I have experienced those mountaintop experiences that rejuvenate my spiritual walk.  Among the earliest experiences for me were when I was in the coastal redwood forests of Mendocino, on a missions trip with my youth group.  After breakfast we would take some time for devotionals and to hang out in the presence of God.  I typically found myself deep in the forest of the campground, away from others, sitting down on an oversized tree stump with Bible in hand.

After reading the selected passage, I would pause and gaze into the forest, quietly listening to the rustling leaves and the foggy mist that rolled between the trees, the tops of said trees no longer visible due to the fog.  I could picture God’s hands coming down to remind me of his presence.

Tonight was another one of those experiences.  My church is going through 24 hours of prayer, from 7 pm Friday to 7 pm Saturday night.  We’re taking 3 rooms, each of which has been set up to take us on a recommended prayer journey in which we can:

1) Praise the Lord and share our thanks with him.
2) Take communion after writing down our confessions or names of those to whom we’ve done wrong and seek forgiveness.  We then shred those pieces of paper.
3) Focus and pray over local ministries as well as overseas missions.
4) Pray for God’s call in our individual lives right now.
5) Hang out with God in a tent not unlike that which Jacob experienced in Genesis 35.

For me, simply entering the room with the tent was enough to overwhelm me. I started to sob as I entered the tent – not because I was sad, but because I could feel God’s presence move me closer to him.  He was inviting me into his presence.  My sandals were off, and I knew that I was in the presence of Someone greater than me.  Both kids joined me there, and each of us could feel his presence.  I sat quietly and heard a gentle “I love you” and “Bring it all to me” – clearly a sign to release all my troubles and let him take care of it, allowing me to feel refreshed and alive after the hour of prayer was over.

¹⁵ For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15 (NIV)

Posted via email from A Mile From The Beach

Those of you who know me know that I read multiple books at any given time (and this on top of the daily readings in The Bible in 90 Days).

This book, by Jesse Rice, is a brilliant look at the impact of social networking in our world today.  I’m currently halfway through this, and will write more in the near future.

From the back cover:

A revolution is underway. A Wi-Fi, worldwide movement that is changing how we interact with others. It’s a seismic shift that is redefining the idea of community. Every day millions of people connect through online social networks, sites that allow us to follow our friends and shape how they view us.

But while personal profiles are revealing, they hint at even larger truths. They uncover our desire for identity, our craving to be known, and our need to belong.

Jesse Rices believes that Facebook offers a profound look at our deepest needs.  Join Jesse as he explores social networking and its impact on culture and the church.  Filled with fresh perspectives and provocative questions, The Church of Facebook encourages us to pursue authentic relationships with God and those around us.

Below is the Introduction and the first chapter. Check it out.

View this document on Scribd

Isaiah 26:4 states very simply: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.”

So simple.

So difficult.

Where do you have difficulty trusting?

::

1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

Isaiah 38:1-6 NIV

I enjoy seeing the kind of relationship that Hezekiah has with God. He’s not afraid to just tell God exactly what he thinks and to defend himself in front of God.  There’s no pretense.  Hezekiah simply says, “Here I am, this is who I am, and I just want you to recognize that.”

It looks a little like a Facebook status update, actually.

Hezekiah is: Reminding God that he’s walked before Him faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in His eyes.

Our prayers need to be that simple.  There’s no need for grand pronouncements.  There’s no need to be eloquent.  You need to be you. I need to be me.  And God will meet us there, which is what he does with Hezekiah.

Just be yourself when you pray.  It’s only a conversation, no different than any conversation between you and me.

There’s a great scene in Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz where he and his friends set up a confession booth during a big on-campus party at Reed College.  The confession booth was decorated with a sign that said, “Confess Your Sins”.  On appearance, it looked as if visitors to the booth would come in to confess their sins to the Christian students manning the booth.

But there was a twist.

Instead of visitors confessing their sins to the Christians, it was the Christians who confessed the sins of the faith to the visitors.  Miller confessed to a visitor:

“Jesus said to feed the poor and to heal the sick. I have never done very much about that. Jesus said to love those who persecute me. I tend to lash out, especially if I feel threatened, you know, if my ego gets threatened. Jesus did not mix his spirituality with politics. I grew up doing that. It got in the way of the central message of Christ. I know that was wrong, and I know that a lot of people will not listen to the words of Christ because people like me, who know Him, carry our own agendas into the conversation rather than just relaying the message Christ wanted to get across.”“It’s all right, man,” Jake said. very tenderly. His eyes were starting to water.

“Well,” I said, clearing my throat, “I am sorry for all of that.”

“I forgive you,” Jake said. And he meant it.

And I am sorry for that, too.  Miller’s words echo my own. Far too many of us who are Christians have acted in ways that are completely contrary to the way that Jesus taught us and modeled through both his life and resurrection.

In Isaiah 1:13-17, God gives us a stern warning about such behaviour – The Message translation gives the passage additional punch:

Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.

Isaiah 1:13-17 The Message

The warning is clear – God’s message in Isaiah is realized in the life of Jesus – and as imperfect humans who try to live the Christian life, we need to see how much further we have to go.  No, we won’t attain perfection this side of eternity.  But if we can remember to put Christ first in all we do, if we love God, love one another, and “clean up our act”, then we’ll be on the right road.  Our good works will flow out of the Christ-like love we have for each other.

When this 90 Day journey through the Bible ends in December, I may very well go back and re-read the book of Ecclesiastes again.  The repetition of the idea that “everything is meaningless” (Eccl 1:2) can get me down, but take a step back and think about it: nothing we have today goes with us when we die.

That book I just bought from Amazon?  It’s going to sit on that shelf, unread.

My new iPod touch?  I guess Margaret and Hank will fight over who gets to use it.

My Weber Q grill? Probably will be given to one of my buds.

As much as I enjoy these things here today, none of it goes with me when I die.  They may give me enjoyment while I own them now, but none give me ultimate pleasure or joy.

I look at my various financial assets – these are all accounts with money for retirement, college savings, and day-to-day living.  All are good to have, are very useful, and I do enjoy managing these on a regular basis.  But a subtle shift has occurred in the way that my wife and I view our finances.

We’ve come to realize that none of our assets are ours.

The writer (presumably Solomon) of the book of Ecclesiastes says this in chapter 5, verses 10-11:

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?

Earlier today I read this in Mark Batterson’s blog regarding finances:

1) God can do more with 90% than I can do with 100%
2) You cannot out give God
3) To be blessed beyond your ability you need to give beyond your ability
4) When you start tithing, your financial problems become God’s problem
5) The tithe keeps money from becoming your master
6) Tithing positions you for blessing
7) Tithing = Trusting

In my personal experience, tithing makes finances fun. It infuses me with economic optimism because I’m walking in obedience. I live in holy anticipation to see the way God is going to provide!

He summed up perfectly for me why I tithe, and just as importantly, why our family has chosen to be generous in giving away our income.  We have more than we need to live our lives.  Besides “our income” isn’t ours anyway.

So I need to believe that God can do more with the 90% he’s given me than I can with 100%.  After all, if it’s not going with me when I die, then what he’s “given” me is merely a rental while I’m walking this rock.

So what’s keeping you from being generous?