Lingering

Dear pastor,

I want to ask you a unique and VERY important question…

Are you very good at lingering these days?

Let’s define the word:

  • “To remain or stay on in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave: ‘We lingered awhile after the party.’ 
  • Also: “to dwell in contemplation, thought, or enjoyment: to linger over the beauty of a painting.”

    – From Dictionary.com

You may be thinking to yourself: “What a strange question!”

But here is the point.

Pastors seem to be soooo busy (at least in America, much like the culture around us). But when we are the middle of prayer, worship, devotions, conversation, fellowship, etc are we good at lingering? Are we reluctant to leave because we are enjoying the beauty of the moment with God or with others?

I fear that many of us, much of the time, are not tarrying in God’s presence much more than we are lingering in the presence of people. We are in hurry and we can’t seem to go slow. And as a result we aren’t able to savor the moment, be fully present in the moment, or find the fullness and enjoyment that God had planned for the moment.

More than able

Dear pastor,

Let us be reminded that God is more than able to handle whatever we face and whatever we give over to Him.

As a matter of fact He is more than able to handle it, keep it, bless it, beautify it and use it. We just have to give it to Him.

It’s kind of hard for me sometimes to see how God could possibly make anything good or beautiful out of the messes I see around me.

In ministry, it sometimes seems that churches and pastors are magnets for broken, hurting and hurtful people. But it makes sense: after all we have been sent to share the love, compassion and healing presence of Jesus with hurting people.

But when broken, and hurting people enter into our lives and churches, they also seem to bring a wake of hurt with them, impacting the people around them (including us!) And when we see how messed up their theology is, or how toxic their behavior, or how injurious their words, we might be tempted to think “nothing good can come of this” and perhaps in our humanness we even ask the Lord to lead them elsewhere.

Yet, is it possible, that God wants to show His glory and power, once again convincing you that nothing is impossible with Him?!

We remind our parishioners of this time and again, but we also need to be reminded ourselves that God is more than able.

So whatever is frustrating, angering, discouraging and overwhelming in your life and ministry, please take the opportunity this week to give it to God and ask Him for a miracle.

He has healed, resurrected, provided, delivered, saved, sanctified and revived in the past, we know He can do it again!

Peace that is beyond comprehension

There is a lot of noise and chaos in this world.

And even when we do get alone and quiet, it seems like technology or our own thoughts like to interrupt.

Fear is a loud and obnoxious voice that seems to invade our thoughts and any modicum of peace we might have had.

But God has given us in the Bible the way to have peace in our lives. The Prince of Peace Himself offers us perfect peace. All we have to do, is give to Him our burdens, cares and concerns along with thanksgiving (See Philippians 4:7).

Why would we give thanks in the middle of reflecting on and expressing our struggles? Primarily because we know that as we give our trials to God, He will handle them with His perfect strength, His perfect wisdom, His perfect provision and in His perfect timing. We can give thanks to God for His 100% track record in handling our problems in the past and for His promises that He will 100% handle everything that we fully surrender to Him in the present and in the future.

And when we do this: we will receive His peace. And it will be such a perfect peace that it will even guard and protect our hearts and our minds. It is such an amazing peace that our thought life and our emotional well-being will be safe-guarded by the Lord bringing us a calm assurance, a contentment and an abiding rest that nothing else in this world can afford.

So please remember to “Keep your mind steadfastly on Him” (Is 26:3) and “present your request to Him with thanksgiving” (Php 4:6-7) and to allow His “consolations to bring joy” and peace to your soul (Ps 94:19).

He is willing, ready and able. Will you let Him?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Lord, please, give us today…

Let me ask you a question: What do you need today?

I think that many of us know right away exactly what it is that we need today.

Whether it is more patience, more sleep, less stress, more energy, more money, or something else, I’m pretty sure you have a list of things that are needed.

And when we find ourselves in need, all manner of doubts, fears and questions may come up: “how will I ever make it?” or “what will happen if…” or even “I better figure something out!”

Let’s put that thought on hold for a second.

Do you remember how Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Twice in the same request Jesus reminded us that the needs are specific to the day and so is God’s answer.

Jesus is teaching us to ask for our daily bread, our daily strength, our daily wisdom.

And of course Jesus is teaching us what to ask and how to ask it because He knows that His Father desires to answer and gift good gifts to those who ask of Him.

So what is the point?

Simply this:

There is sufficient grace for the day. We must pray for our daily bread, but then let us realize (and hold fast to the fact) that in Christ and from Christ we have enough for the day. There is enough wisdom for the day. God is giving us daily light for our path. He is pouring forth sufficient peace for the day. God is freely availing to us ample supply for our need.

So please, remember to humbly and reverently ask God daily to supply what is needed for that day. Be specific. Be bold. Have faith.

And then as you continue praying without ceasing over the course of the day simultaneously pray and give thanks for God supplying whatever is needed for the day:

  • Thank you God for the energy sufficient to the day
  • Thank you Lord for enough gentleness and patience to serve and help others
  • Thank you Lord for sufficient supply for my food and drink and bills for today
  • Thank you Lord ample patience, joy, peace, love for the situations and people I will be around today

Trust me, this will test your faith. And no, this is not a “name it and claim it” theology. This is simply trusting God to do what He said He would do and then asking, waiting and watching for the miraculous ways that God supplies.

If we look at the story of manna from the Lord we understand that rarely will God give us more than we need (in order to save for another day) but instead we just rest in the peace and assurance that there is enough for today coming from the heart and hands of our good God!

Lord, please give us this day our daily bread.

I am not afraid

I fear the Lord.

I am in awe of His power and holiness.

I tremble when I realize that He speaks things into existence and at His Word things also will be judged.

But I love the Lord (because He first loved me) and I have joy and peace in His presence, because He has made me His child.

I consider myself a “God-fearer” and hope to live my life in the fear of the Lord and pass this on to others as well.

But I am not afraid.

I am not afraid of the unknown in this life. I am not afraid of abusers, profiteers, fear-mongers, oppressors, bullies, etc. I am not afraid of storms and circumstances. I am not afraid of the devil or darkness. I am not afraid of what I cannot control. I am not afraid of what has been, what is or what might be.

Why?

Because I fear the Lord. And I serve Him as my only God. And He is the victor, the champion, the conqueror, the King over all. And therefore I am not afraid.

Because God is with me and in me, because of His great and precious promises, and because of His eternal wisdom and power, I am not afraid.

If the diagnosis is cancer, if war breaks out, if famine or drought comes, if I don’t have enough or if I don’t have what it takes…I am not afraid. God is my provider, He is my guide, He is my anchor.

And when I am tempted to be afraid or to despair…

I look to the Lord, go to the Lord, call on the Lord and find that He makes His enemies to fear and I can simply rest, at peace in presence, safe in my Father’s arms.

I am not afraid.

The mystery of God’s will

Have you ever wrestled with trying to discover God’s will for your life?

Trying to discover what path to take, what to say, what to do…

The choices seem endless and we don’t want to make the wrong decision and waste our lives.

But let me assure you that it is not as difficult as we make it. And even our slowness to understand what God is revealing or the mistakes we make along the way are not enough to derail God’s plans for our lives.

Let me encourage you to do 5 things:

  1. Draw near to God in faith, prayer and obedience
  2. Ask the Lord to make it plain to you (in His perfect timing)
  3. Love the person in front of you
  4. Tend to the tasks you know God has already given you
  5. Trust God, wait and see, God will make it abundantly obvious what you should do

God will use His Sovereign power to providentially arrange circumstances to reveal His will.

As you dig in deep into His Word, God will reveal knowledge and understanding that will grow you in grace, love and holiness.

The peace of God (which transcends all understanding) will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus as you obediently follow Him.

While you are waiting you will discover many opportunities for prayer, Thanksgiving, worship, service, study, silence, fasting, meditation, witnessing and more.

While you are waiting God will arrange the pieces just precisely so, even as He prepares your heart, mind, soul and body to be ready for the task He will reveal to you.

What is God’s will for your life? Ask Him, live for Him, walk with Him and He will show you!

Pastoring through questions

Dear pastor,

  • What is God teaching you?
  • What is God prompting you to do?
  • Are you enjoying your times with Him (in prayer/Bible reading/worship)?
  • Who is God telling you to reach out to?
  • What temptation are you facing and how are you handling it?

Depending on your source the answer may vary but it is said that Jesus asked somewhere between 200 and 300+ questions in the gospels. Jesus shepherded His flock by asking questions. The first great awakening was carried along by the preaching and teaching of the Word but also by accountability and growth questions.

The questions above are questions that I regularly ask myself and many other people. I find that conversation and prayer about these questions serve to truly point me to Christ and help me to find His healing, help, hope and transformation.

Who is asking your family and your parishioners these questions?

If you ask these questions with genuine concern, love, compassion and gentleness, would you be able to help other people look to Jesus and discover His forgiving and transformative grace?

I pray that you will discover someone who will be bold enough and loving enough to ask you questions about the state of your soul.

And I pray that you will do the same for those God places along your path.

(Here is a list of more questions that are deeply impactful for conversation, growth and accountability)

Questions for the journey

Dear fellow seeker,

May I ask a few questions?

You and I are both on our respective journeys. We are each seeking to discover the purpose of our lives, what God is calling us to, and how we can truly bless, serve and impact others with our feeble efforts. 

1. Where are you looking for your purpose? Are you making sure to read the life manual that contains all the wisdom you need to understand the meaning of life? Please remember that God has revealed His purpose for you if you will but read His Holy Word. 

2. What do you think God is calling you to do and to be? Of course the Bible is a great place to start, but we also must diligently pray about this and listen for the still small whisper of the Lord. He may speak through other people, through the church or by His Providence (the way He arranges circumstances) but trust me, if you pay attention, He will tell you what He is calling you to. 

3. What specific things are you doing to bless and serve God and others? Are you practicing generosity? Are you sharing your time and energy? Trust me when I tell you that your purpose and God’s call on your life will always come alive when you are serving others. 

I know you and I are both seeking. Let us be sure to seek God, His will and His righteousness. May we avoid the trappings and distractions of this world. 

May God shed light and love on your soul!

Grace and peace

Be prepared in season and out of season

This Scripture is found in 2 Timothy 4:2 and is often repeated to pastors at their ordination. It is sound wisdom and we will do well to follow it but we also should remember that this comes from God’s Word and therefore reveals God’s will for each of us as His ministers.

But I wonder if sometimes we misunderstand the full implication here.

Of course, we need to know Jesus, nurture our relationship with Him, be ready for His return, be available to be used. We always need to be ready to share our testimony, pray with people and minister to people in their time of need.

But I would also say, that we should consider these words a reminder that every minute of every day is an opportunity to point to God and help others. In work and play alike we have the privilege of letting our light shine before people.

We need to learn to be prepared. But this isn’t about being the perfect planner or having a polished message. We need to remember that the Scriptures tell us that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are interceding for us and that God will give us the words to speak when we are before people as His witnesses. So it is not per se about being ready with a prepared speech, but instead being present and available, as well as open to God. Being prepared in season and out of season is about always listening to God and always availing oneself as a conduit through whom God can flow.

I have found such peace and freedom and begun to relish the many opportunities God sends my way not because I have memorized a perfect presentation or sermon or sound bites of wisdom but because I know God is with me sourcing me and that as I listen to others and stay open to God, He will simply flow through me.

Be prepared: be present: be available: be open to God: and watch and see how many opportunities you will have to help people connect to God!

So much going on, so much left undone

Dear friend,

I imagine if you are anything like me, then you find that there are so many demands on your time and so many expectations that you are trying to meet that at the end of the day you wonder sometimes if you will ever have time to pursue some of your hopes and dreams or if you will ever have time to tend to that spiritual matter you have been putting off.

So first of all, please know that God is able to give you wisdom and discernment to know which of the myriad of demands, obligations, responsibilities and expectations you actually have to attend to. Trust me, when I tell you that not everything that you or someone else thinks you should be doing, in fact needs to be done.

Secondly, the feeling of never having enough time to pursue your hopes and dreams and leisure activities may be God telling you to slow down, to work less and to spend more time building relationships and making memories with your friends and family. When we never have time to do the things that refill our gas tank, at some point we will run out of fuel. Please make sure that you are not running on empty. Take the time to slow down, counting your blessings and enjoying the moment God places you in.

Finally, it is very possible that you have been putting off some spiritual matter that God has been nudging you about. Whether it is going to church more regularly or really taking the time to read the Bible or talk to God in prayer or whether it is finally reaching out to that other person (to help them, to invite them to church or to talk to them about Jesus), please know that there is in fact enough time. God supplies what we need, when we need it and if He has been urging you to tend to that spiritual matter, you can be assured that He is offering to you the time, energy, boldness, patience, strength, kindness, etc to follow through on it.

So please, this week, if you are feeling overwhelmed with responsibility, feeling like you have no joy in the journey or realizing that you have been neglecting that spiritual matter God has been talking to you about…know that God has enough for you. He is actually offering you everything you need for life and godliness if you will just reach out and receive it. I encourage you, lay down your worry, stress and fear and instead walk into the next moment of your life with the gentle assurance that God is walking with you, offering you all that you need.