I love God’s law with all my heart.

But there is another power?? within me that is at war with my mind. 

Rom 7:22-23

I recently read a disturbing article about a church planter wife who literally gave up the fight in the ultimate way, by taking her own life.  I don’t know any details of her life or what would drive her to do such a drastic thing, but we all know too well the pressures of starting and leading a new church.  I was reminded of our need for support, for each other, and for the encouragement to “fight the good fight” (1Tim 6:12) and to “not grow weary in doing good” because we will reap a harvest in the proper time if we don’t lose heart. (Gal 6:9)

But, I’m afraid these “encouragements” might not be the right truth to apply to the wounds of a person who is too far down that road of despair.  I can imagine that “Keep fighting” and “Don’t give up” could feel like a whip cracking on the back of someone who has already given up hope, is tired, despondent and depressed. These words, though powerful reminders, don’t put practical weapons in their hand.  How do you fight the good fight, especially when you are tired, wounded, disheartened and depressed?  I’m just guessing that a vast majority of us have been there, or will be.  We live on the front lines after all.  We are taking ground from the enemy.  Flaming arrows are constantly coming our way.  We didn’t sign up for church planting because we thought it would be easy!

Let me share a practical weapon that I learned to wield from my father and mentor in the faith, Jeff Floyd.  When I have taken time to work through this process, or to help others work through the process, it has truly been transformational.  We know from scripture that we are “transformed by the renewing of our mind” (Rom12:2), so our thoughts are at the center of the battle.  A million things a day stimulate thoughts in us.  Those thoughts are what precipitate a certain action. (If we hadn’t had that particular thought we might not have done that particular action.) That action leads to certain reactions, by us or others around who were acted on.  Those reactions are likely to then stimulate further thoughts in us that cause us to go around the same or a similar path over and over. 

Now this process is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as our thoughts are in line with Christ’s teaching.  That’s the key. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we need to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. When our thinking is out of line with Christ and takes us in the wrong direction again and again, forming a habit, we can find ourselves enslaved to that mindset and trapped in wrong attitudes and behaviors that lead to frustration, despair and depression.

Let’s make it practical now and follow the diagram with an example.  Let’s imagine something goes wrong in our church plant.  That’s not hard to imagine.  Ministry is constantly messy.  Things don’t go the way we would have liked, people mess up, fail to follow through, oppose us or don’t live up to our expectations.  Any of these could be the “stimulus” that gets us going. Let’s imagine, just hypothetically, that our immediate thought is “We’re failing as leaders”, or “We’re not good enough”, or maybe even “We might not make it as a church.” Any of these ungodly thoughts could easily lead to the action of “striving”.  Just work harder.  Figure this out. Try this model instead. We could spend hours and days struggling, trying hard, fighting to overcome this mess.  The inevitable reaction is “weariness”.  It’s tiring to constantly fight and strive. Now what happens when our button is pushed again when we are already weary?  Another mess comes up and a few more times around instead of just weariness we turn to despair, then depression, then who knows what.  The underlying faulty belief system that is feeding this cycle is that “if we do things right then everything should run smoothly”.  The prevailing spirit that results in this situation is “frustration”. 

But it doesn’t have to continue like this!  We have the choice to take our thought captive before it wreaks more havoc in our minds, hearts and ministries!  Instead of one of those ungodly thoughts, let’s choose something wholesome like “Here’s an opportunity for God to shine and me to learn”, or “I am not in control, but God is”, or “Here’s a mess, but God has an answer”.   Where does that lead us?  An expected action might be something like “quietness and trust” (Is 30:15) or “resting in God”.  Then the resulting reaction is “strength” and “joy”.  Now when the next mess comes up, the joy of the Lord is your strength!  The belief system that is being fed by this is that “ministry is messy but God is in control and His plans will prevail”.  The prevailing spirit in this scenario is “satisfaction”.

Of course, this is just one example of the many many situations you face in ministry and life and the many many ways your thoughts and actions could go.  Try working through this for something specific that has you stuck in your ministry, your marriage or your relationship with your kids.  Focus on very specific thoughts and actions.  You might have to start with an action or reaction that you know is not right and work your way back to determine what thought led you there.  God will be faithful to help you replace your ungodly thoughts.

There may be a power that is warring against your mind (Rom7:23), but God’s Spirit gives us the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) and  “you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory… because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world (1John 4:4)!

If you’ve been in church planting for any length of time, even if you are pre-launch, you’ve probably experienced some spectacular victories but also some stinging defeats. Have you ever found yourself metaphorically  flat on your church planting face wondering what in the world you tripped over and how in the world you missed it?  Well, you are not alone.  It happens to the best of church planters and it happened to another great conqueror centuries ago. 

Joshua found himself flattened after the humiliating defeat at Ai.  It was a small town and the leaders of Joshua’s intelligence department had decided they didn’t need to spend too much effort taking them off the map. Other cities had appeared much more daunting.  This one should have been a quick conquest.  Instead they were “soundly defeated”, according to Joshua 7:4.  The leaders of Israel were dismayed (vs6) and cried out to God, “Why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us?”  Have you ever been there before?  “God, why did you move our family across the country to this God-forsaken city if you are just going to let us die at the hands of our own launch team (or whatever your latest struggle has been)?”  The Israelites never saw this one coming and were ready to pack it up.

Instead of losing ground, God helped them find the source of their defeat and ready themselves for the next battle.  He told them, “Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord.  You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things.” (Josh 7:13)  Before their previous battle at Jericho God had given them explicit instructions on what things should be completely destroyed (things from the pagan nations Duet 20:17) and what things should be taken as plunder for the treasury of the Lord (anything silver, gold, bronze or iron Josh 6:18). Achan had ignored God’s instructions and taken a Babylonian robe (definitely from a pagan nation) as well as some silver and gold.  The robe should have been destroyed altogether and the silver and gold was meant to be redeemed for God’s Kingdom.

We too must be careful to eradicate anything connected to the enemy and present or surrender to God anything that can be redeemed for His glory and use if we expect to win battles in His name.  Things connected to the enemy could be any old ungodly habits like stretching the truth just a hair to make us look better, or saying just a little more than we should have about that person “in the name of a prayer request”.   Other things connected to the enemy could be any beliefs that are not based on God’s word– beliefs about your city, your sister churches, your launch team, beliefs about yourself- your weaknesses or your strengths, beliefs about sin, authority, etc. etc.  These things have to go if they do not line up exactly with the Word of God.  They have to be wiped out of our lives, thoughts and actions.  They are connected to the enemy and keep us from being holy.

Other things from our conquests are meant to be presented to God for His Kingdom and glory.  If we take them for ourselves we jeopardize our next step.  Things meant to be surrendered to Him include the glory of our “success”, the skills and talents we possess that have only been heightened and strengthened through church planting,  the people we have discipled (who might need to be sent on to another new church, city or country).  These things, though good and pure like gold, in the wrong hands (ours) become a millstone around our neck and will only sink us.  We must give back to God anything that can be redeemed for His purposes.

The best part of this story is that “The Defeat AT Ai” becomes “The Defeat OF Ai”.  Once Israel rectified their wrong, God sent them right back to the place they had been defeated in order to conquer the land as His own.  “Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Point your spear toward Ai, for I will give you the city.’” (Josh 8:18)  Ai was wiped out that day. It was completely destroyed.

What is a place of former failure for you?  Allow God to show you what went wrong.  Where did you trip up?  What needs to be surrendered to Him?  What needs to be destroyed?  After you ponder these questions and act on the answers, then get back in there and take the land for your King!

There is a story in 2Kings 3 about the king of Moab rebelling against Joram, king of Israel. King Joram

calls Jehoshaphat king of Judah to go with him to fight against the king of Moab. They set out along with the king of Edom and after 7 days of what the scriptures call a “round about march in the desert”, they have run out of water for themselves and their animals. They decide to seek the council of Elisha because Jehoshaphat says the word of the Lord is with him. Elisha instructs them to make the valley full of ditches. He tells them that even though they will not see rain the valley will be filled with water and they and their animals will drink. Then he says to them, “This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.” (vs. 18)

Several years ago, in the beginning of our ministry, the Lord spoke to my husband and me told us that we were in a hard place but it wasn’t what we thought because nothing is hard for him. At the time things were very hard and I was very focused on the circumstances around me. I began to ask myself this question. If the hard place is not what I think then what is it? I asked the Lord to show me.

We live in a very instant society and we like answers right away but God enjoys the journey of our lives. In the year that followed,  I learned that the hard places were in me. Church planting is a road loaded with challenging circumstances. Where will the people come from? How do we reach them? Will we have enough money? Do I have what it takes to do this? Will we survive this? It can at times feel like we are in a very hard place just like the kings were in a hard place in the desert. But the truth was and still is—that these are easy things in the eyes of the Lord. Just like the water in the desert, you could go to church on Sunday and 2000 people could be waiting to get in the door and God would not have even broken a sweat.  I think we forget sometimes just how powerful our God is.

We also forget just how loving He is and how important to Him we are. That’s why He allows circumstances in our lives that will expose the hard places inside. Our freedom in Christ is as important to Him as the freedom of the community to which He has sent us. You are not just the tool in His hand, you are the apple of His eye.

As this truth became a reality in my life I began to see His intentionality towards me. I began looking at my mindset as I walked in my circumstances. As I let Him renew my mind he set me free from the fear of failure and lack. He upgraded my trust and faith and completely redefined success and strategy for both my husband and me.

As I look back on the last few years I am overwhelmed. I am so grateful for my circumstances and the hard places in my heart and mind from which He has freed me. The real challenge in church planting

is not overcoming our circumstances but overcoming ourselves. Our circumstances are after all, an

easy thing in the eyes of the Lord.

 ”A healthy tree produces good fruit…
The way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced.” 
 Matt 7:17,20

“Those who remain in me, and I in them will produce much fruit.
Apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5

“My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.”

John 15:8

As church planters, I think it is safe to say that we all want to bear fruit.  That’s what we’re here for, right?  We want to bring glory to our Father by producing fruit, and not just a little handful of fruit; we want to bear much fruit.  We are typically apostles and evangelists.  We don’t want to just see a few disciples made. We’re jumpin’ in deep.  We want whole cities! 

I think we also understand that we can do nothing apart from Jesus.  That’s pretty much 101.  But how to get from just bearing some fruit to bearing much fruit is something most of us long for and wrestle with.  I know I do.  When I meet Jesus someday I want to show Him that I have not hidden away the gifts He has entrusted to me, but have used them to produce much fruit.  I want to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

I recently ran across some notes I took over ten years ago about bearing much fruit.  The following is my very short recap of the message I heard from Dan Spader at Sonlife Ministries in Elburn, IL.

First, imagine four buckets.  One has no fruit in it. The next has some fruit, the next more fruit and the last one much fruit.  Between each of these buckets is a barrier that keeps you from getting to the next fullest bucket.  For each of these barriers there is also a way to break through to the next level.

To get from the first bucket of no fruit to the one with some fruit we have to break through the barrier of sin.  Sin keeps us from connecting to God, and since apart from Him we can do nothing we must first remove the sin and get connected to the Vine.  The way we do this is through repentance.  It is this cleansing that causes the first breakthrough.   As church planters, we know and teach this.

Each barrier gets progressively more challenging (and convicting).  The barrier that keeps us from moving from some fruit to more fruit is often just “stuff”.  Just like in the parable of the soils, the weeds choked out the growing plant, the “cares of this world” and all the stuff in our life can hold us back from being all that we can be.  “Stuff” could be tangible things like money, homes, cars, motorcycles, motor homes, clothes, shoes, etc.  But it could also be non-tangible things like emotional baggage: past hurts, failures, false beliefs, unforgiveness.  All of this “stuff”, tangible or not, needs to be pruned away.  How we participate in the breakthrough is by rejoicing.  This is not our typical/natural response to pruning!  Pruning is painful and most of the time we resist or even run from pain.  But, just like a shot hurts more if you tense up your muscle, pruning hurts more if we resist.  If we instead choose to relax and even rejoice in what God is doing, then the pruning will feel less like a wrestling match and more like a pedicure!

There is so much I could say about pruning!  As church planters, I’m sure you’ve all undergone pruning.  If you haven’t yet it probably means you just finished assessment!  You will be pruned if you are to grow. There were times in the beginning that it felt like this whole endeavor of church planting was only about my pruning, God working IN me.  The stripping away that happens at the beginning of a plant is such a necessary process.  Allow God to do His thing in you.  It will certainly lead to more fruit.  Let Him cut away as much as he needs to and rejoice as He does it, knowing that the beauty will soon be revealed.

Then you can move on to the next level and break through to “much fruit”.  I’ve found this barrier also to be common to church planters, but probably in a different way than the regular church attender.  The next barrier is satisfaction.  Plenty of people might be satisfied with “more fruit”. They become complacent.  It’s pretty good.  They don’t want to endure the work it takes to get to the next level.  They need to break through their satisfaction with the amount of fruit they have.

But as church planters we are usually strong willed and “go-getters”.  That’s why we passed assessment.  We will make it one way or another.  We are survivors and we want it all.  We aren’t satisfied with “more fruit”; we want “much fruit”.  Satisfaction in that way is not usually the problem. BUT are we satisfied with how God will lead us to that fruit?  The breakthrough is through deep abiding and by remaining in Him.  Can we rest in Him and allow the Holy Spirit to do His thing in His timing?  Can we be satisfied for Him to use His strength and not ours? 

The first two breakthroughs of “repenting” and “rejoicing” are active ways we participate.  We like to be active and “do” things.  “Remaining” and “abiding” are much more passive and don’t need our active, “go-get-em” strength (which we too often like to show off).  The breakthrough to “much fruit” is about the power of the Holy Spirit and not our power.  We must decrease so He can increase.  Will we be satisfied for Him to get the glory and us to get none?  I think Dan might have called the last barrier “surrender” if he was talking to church planters.  Will we surrender all the results of our ministry to God while we spend our time abiding in Him?   If we do, we will produce much fruit, and “this brings great glory to our Father.”  (John 15:8)

Remaining and Abiding are not things that happen quickly and are done.  There isn’t an ending like there is with cleansing and pruning.  Those things might need to be done over again, but remaining doesn’t end and begin again. This is where we must stay.  Once you wrestle with the barrier of surrender it will be much easier to relax and remain in Him.  What things, ideas, fears, and futures do you need to surrender to God?  Be honest with yourself and God, and lean into the wind of the Spirit as you move to “much fruit.”

 Sitting at the breakfast table this morning mindlessly munching my frosted Cheerios, I suddenly sensed the presence of something I had not previously noticed.  It was accompanied by a sinking sort of feeling, but under laid with some strange sort of pride as well.  Glancing at my thirteen year old son who was downing the last bite of his toast I saw with horror that there was FUZZ, barely perceptible to the trained eye of a mother, but nonetheless present, on his top lip!  As I swallowed my mouthful of cereal I felt at least three gray hairs sprout spontaneously from my head.  What’s happening?!  I suddenly felt as if I were transported to the front lines of a battlefield: me, the mama bear, against a vast army of incessantly multiplying hormones inside my son.  They were tirelessly training, gaining power, even brainwashing my son and working overtime to suck my baby boy into the hostile foreign world of the adult male.  How could I stop them?  Where would they take him?  Would I ever get him back?   I remembered that just that week he had rejected the new boxers I bought for him because they had cars on them.  Cars!  Boys like cars don’t they?  Apparently not on boxers that must shamefully be revealed in the gym locker room. 

Through my mind flashed a myriad of pictures of my son; from pulling up in his crib for the first time, proud of this brave new accomplishment, to playing his guitar on the now teen-like cluttered floor of his room, to his first bike wreck when I watched helplessly as his front wheel shuddered wrecklessly back and forth out of his control until he landed face first into the dirt by the side of the path, to sitting at the computer, focused like a missile, programming his Lego Mindstorm robot, to his first day of Kindergarten when he bravely left my side and walked into a room full of strangers, to his first day of geometry class this year; back and forth and around in a swirl of timeless time that left my head spinning and my heart aching.  But for what?  “The good old days?”  Do I really want my baby to stay a baby, or a pre-schooler, or even a teen?  Sigh.  No, I suppose not.  I must press on.  I am reminded of the verse in Pillipians 3:13 “I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.“  

The high calling of God.  Yes! What higher calling than to raise a baby boy to be a man of God, and especially to find his own high calling?   This is the noble task that I am undertaking.  This is the battle I fight; not of flesh and blood and hormones, but of the unseen world: to instill values and morals and godly goals into the rapidly growing boy with the brainwashed mind, and the fuzzy lip.  I won’t forget his past, his childhood.  Those memories are precious and lay the foundation for God’s story to be written on.  But neither will I cling to it as if it were the goal that is now somehow overshot.  No, I haven’t reached the goal yet.  There is more stretching forward to do.  I will have to stretch forward to trust God as I send him off to college someday. I will have to stretch forward to trust those godly values in him I as send him off on his first date (preferably after he is in college!).  I will have to stretch forward to loosen my grip and allow God to shape his future instead of thinking He should go with my game plan.  And today I will have to stretch forward to come to grips with my rapidly morphing boy-man. 

 A sudden sense of peace in the midst of a gale-force wind overtook me and I said, “Michael, would you please pass the orange juice?”

——————————————————————————

Ladies, church planting is certainly a noble calling, but let’s not forget that besides raising a church we are also raising children.  Time flies and soon your church will be all grown up and even able to survive without you, but your children will depend on you their whole lives.  What can you do this month to make sure your kids are a higher priority than your church? 

Michael is now 16 and has actually shaved that fuzz off his face.  When Michael was younger we would have “M&M time” (Michael and Mommy time) and go out together for a milkshake or to play chess at a coffee shop.  My daughter (12) and I are working through the Secret Keeper Girl book by Dana Gresh, http://www.secretkeepergirl.com, a fabulous book with mommy daughter dates all planned out to talk about modesty and true beauty.  And my youngest son (10) has special time with his dad at Cub Scouts.  David leads his den and gets lots of father-son time doing projects together.  Last year for Christmas my kids got “date bags”, one to be opened each month.  Each little bag had a $5 gift card to a different place (Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Wal Mart, Build a Bear etc) and each month they could choose a date with mom or dad to use their card. They loved it!  Whether your kids are babies, teens or grown and out of the house, plan something this month to show them they are special.

And you know what? She is absolutely right. These are unprecedented times. The opportunities for the world to see a people of unprecedented peace and joy have just dramatically increased. The stage is set for unprecedented miracles and acts of faith, for unprecedented generosity and acts of kindness, and most of all—opportunities for an encounter with the amazing God who loves them. Isaiah 61: 9 puts it this way, “Their descendants will be known among the nations. And their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

My prayer during these unprecedented times is that the Bride of Christ would rise up and be glorious! That our churches would walk in such a way that the glory of God (His attributes) would shine in our cities. But, I also know that this starts with you and me.

We have to be people of unflinching conviction that God is good and He is faithful. That no matter what circumstances we encounter, He is working all things together for our good. We can’t afford to get caught in the current of the world’s worry. Focusing on the natural world all around us and forgetting that there is NO recession in Heaven! We must walk in the knowledge and rest that the storehouses are full and all of God’s promises are still yes!

The world needs the see the church as Christ destined her to be—not a people holding on waiting for the sweet bye and bye—but a beautiful bride. Jesus is coming back for a glorious bride! He is not coming back for a pity date! His plan is to save the world through the bride not to save the bride from the world.

The enemy needs to see the bride as a force to be reckoned with. And the people of our communities need to say of us what was said of the disciples, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” Acts 17:6 Wow! I like that! Let’s turn some things upside down this year! Let’s turn worry in to extravagant peace, hopelessness into hope, despair in to overwhelming joy! Let’s overcome evil with good! Nothing is impossible with God. After all…these are unprecedented times!

I hope all of you had a great Christmas and enjoyed your holiday season.  I had a great time in Colorado.  It was even white part of the time!  I also enjoyed catching up with some friends we hadn’t seen since last Christmas.  The conversations usually began with a summary of our last year, how the family was doing and how our church was doing.  I found it interesting to recap the past year in five minutes or less.  My summary included good things like my youngest son’s baptism, my friend’s wedding, a great family vacation, a new job bringing much welcome financial stability and a stable and peaceful year for the church.  I was also pleased to assess my spiritual growth over the year and see that I have grown spiritually despite the lack of trials and tribulations which have made my roots grow deep and fast in the past.  God has been teaching me about rest, beauty, prayer and trust. Overall 2008 was a good year for me, and that is something I want to remember.

 Psalm 78 has a strong lesson on remembering:

 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, ² for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—³ stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us.⁴ We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.⁵For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, ⁶so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. ⁷So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. ⁸Then they will not be like their ancestors—stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God. ⁹ The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle. ¹⁰They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions. ¹¹They forgot what he had done—the great wonders he had shown them, ¹² the miracles he did for their ancestors on the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.     Psalm 78: 1-12

Ephraim was the tribe known for its warriors.  Psalm 60:7 says that Ephraim would produce warriors while Judah would produce kings.  War was their spiritual gift!  This is what they were created for and yet when the day of battle came, and they were fully trained and armed, they totally wimped out! They turned and ran, the big sissies!

Oh, how we shake our heads at them, seeing the big picture, both past and future (for them) of what God did again and again.  It’s so obvious to us. The miracles of their time are unsurpassed to this day.  God rescued them in dramatic displays of his power that defied the laws of our universe and the stretches of our imagination.  How could they forget the walls of water they walked through to safety, the pillar of fire and cloud that just “happened to” go before them, the rock that split open giving them much needed water, or the bread that fell from the skies!?!  And when they got tired of “angel food” He had birds just fall from the sky for dinner instead.  I don’t know about you, but I would love to have my dinner fall from the sky each day!

Yes, it is easy to “tsk, tsk” them and ponder how they could forget things of such magnitude, but look at what verse four says. “We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.”  Verse five through seven says that the Israelites had been commanded to teach the next generation not only of His laws but also of His stories, His stories of glory and power.  How many times had these mighty warriors heard these glorious stories of old?  Not enough, it seems.

I can remember my Grandma telling “missionary stories”, sometimes of God’s miraculous rescue, sometimes of the dramatic change of a primitive tribe who decided to follow Jesus.  You’ve probably seen The End of the Spear, the story of Jim Elliot.  Stories like these inspire us; they encourage us that God is still on His throne and is still in the miracle business.  He still swoops down in big and small ways to care for lost souls or to rescue you when you are in trouble.

We need to remember these stories just like the Israelites needed to remember what God had done in their past!  I need to remember the small quiet things God did in 2008 and the large, painful and dramatic things He did in 2005. When I look back to survey the things God has been doing, I am encouraged by the development I see, punctuated with dramatic episodes of rescue, provision and love.  I have stories that are God-stories that my children need to hear.

Ladies, you are in the perilous venture of church planting.  Like Moses, you are leading God’s people on this stretch of the journey.  I am sure He is doing things both big and small in your churches and in your hearts.  Don’t keep it quiet! Tell this (and the next) generation of His glorious deeds!  Document your journey.  Keep track of your ups and downs and how God brings you through. I encourage you to keep a journal or to start a blog.  If your “day of battle” has not yet come, I dare say it is around the corner and you will need to swiftly recollect all the ways that God has been faithful in the past in order to give you courage for your present need.

If you’ve been in church planting for some time (we have completed five years now!) you have a growing list of God’s accomplishments to consider. But listen to this and get excited: 

I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick. “But forget all that- it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.    Isaiah 43:16-18

Remember the amazing things that God has done in the past, but also know that there are still many miracles to come!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loves us… Eph 2:4

My two favorite words put together have to be—But God! In every situation of your life there is always a “But God!”

In verses 6 and 7 of chapter 2 of Ephesians it goes on to say that we have been seated in high places (vs.6) in order that He may show us the riches of His kindness (vs.7).

The world is saying 2009 will be a difficult year. I believe it will be a year of triumph! Why? But God! It doesn’t matter what situations we may face, we are not alone and ourlives are not left up to chance or fate. We serve the Creator of the universe and He is always faithful to His promises.

When I look at my checking accountand it’s not encouraging I rememberbut God has promised to meet my needs according to His riches not mine. Aren’t you glad there’s no recession in Heaven! His store houses are still full! All the good works that He has prepared for you to do in advance this year are all ready budgeted for. Remember, you are a budget item in heaven.

Those two little but very big words put together are the source of a deep well of strength and joy in difficult times. Right now my precious great niece is going through some health issues and it breaks my heart when I think of what her parents and grandparents are going through. And then I think—BUT GOD- and I feel strength and comfort and peace rise up in me and yes even joy as I remember and proclaim that He is holding that little girl in His big hands.That she is dearly loved and cared for by Him and That He is the great physician. It allows me to pray with confidence and faith.

No matter what you may face in 2009, no matter what the circumstances look like remember there is always a “but God” for those who are called by His name! We are more than conquerors in Christ! Will you stand and declare with me at the beginning of this new year that 2009 will be a year of triumph! That we will see the Glory of the Lord in our cities! That we will take ground from the enemy and advance the cause of Christ! If we believe it—we will see it!“

Gifts come in all sorts of packages. I like the ones that come in shiny packages that are wrapped with a  bow—you know the ones that say, “I’m great, open me!”.  And while that’s usually true at Christmas time the packages of life are not always so pretty.

The gifts of life can sometimes be hard and painful. This is especially true in ministry. Sometimes it feels like we give and give and it’s not enough. People hurt you when all you have tried to do is love and encourage them. I’ll be honest with you – sometimes this ministry thing is just hard.

I was in a place of frustration when I felt the Lord ask me this question. Can I trust you with offense? Can I bring hurting people with issues who need deliverance into your church and trust you to be me to them even when they hurt you.

Wow, I had never thought of it that way before. Can God trust me with His hurting sheep. Of course the warrior in me responded right away with a “yes Sir!” I set my heart to respond the way God would to my situation. I was determined to be Jesus no matter how difficult it was, so I put my shoulder to the grindstone and after about a week I was angrier and more hurt than I had been before and now let’s tie a bow of guilt on to this package—because I was obviously failing at the whole being trusted with offense deal. I was a mess in need of deliverance myself.

The enemy seemed to have complete control of my thoughts. I couldn’t stop thinking about how unfair it all was and what I wished I could say to set it straight. And while I knew God knew the truth it brought me little comfort. So there I sat one Monday morning before the Lord in complete despair. I don’t know how to do this I told Him. I want to be trusted by you with the hard stuff but I don’t know how.

God is near to all who call on him. He took me straight to II Cor. 12:9, “ My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In my determination to live up to being trusted with offense I had set out in my own strength and I failed. God showed me that there was a gift for me in this situation. He wanted to trade me His power for my weakness. I had gotten so focused on enduring the offense and giving grace that I forgot to receive. And the truth is that you can’t give until you have first received.

God always has a gift for you in every situation and every trial. So I sat before him and repented. I offered up my weakness and asked to receive His power. How do I deal with my thoughts that just seem to be getting more out of my control. He took me to John 13—the passage about Jesus washing  his disciples feet and as I read this familiar account verse 10 jumped off the page at me. Peter has just told Jesus to wash all of him, his feet, hands, and head as well. 10 Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet: his whole  body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” The passage goes on to explain that he was referring to Judas when he said not everyone of you is clean. The disciples had believed in Jesus—they were clean, justified by their faith just like the old testament saints. They just needed their feet washed.

I felt the Lord speaking to my heart. I had been walking down the wrong paths in my mind and my  spiritual feet needed washing. Just then the scripture about being careful not to let Satan get a foothold ran through my mind. The more I let my thoughts walk down the wrong paths the more Satan got a hold of my feet and it was harder to resist.

I felt the Lord lovingly inviting me to sit before Him and let Him wash my feet. I confessed my sin and repented of the paths I had let myself be led down. And as I did I felt Him washing away the heaviness of sin and unlocking the enemy’s hold on my mind. The peace and joy that the last weeks had robbed from me began to fill my aching heart. I still have to make a choice everyday to walk down the right paths with my mind, but when I choose His strength for my weakness I can do all things through Christ. And when I fail He is there to cleanse me again. It is so humbling to realize that Jesus is still willing to wash our feet today if we will bow before Him and confess our sin.

 I don’t know what gifts life had brought you lately. Maybe they are all wrapped in really cool packages and if that’s true then I pray for more for you. But maybe there are some out there who have received gifts that are not so pretty and your heart is heavy this Christmas. If that is you then I want to encourage you to sit before the Lord and trade your weakness for His power. Let Him wash your feet so you are free to walk down the paths of life in the midst of hard things.

In ministry we are called to a life of giving but we must remember that He will never ask us to give more than He is willing to give. But the key is that we have to keep receiving.

At Christmas time we remember and celebrate the greatest gift ever given to man. Let us also remember that this gift never stops giving. He was joy to the world in a little stable back then and He is joy to your world in whatever circumstance you find yourself in today!

Merry Christmas!

The word season implies that there is not just one day or one week, but a whole period of time for which a certain activity goes on. Webster’s dictionary says that “season” means “a period for particular activity”.  I am glad that one day the leaves are not green, the next day red, the next day they have all fallen off, the next day it snows and the next day it is 100 degrees.  I wouldn’t have time to appreciate all the facets of the beauty of Fall. Seasons last so we can soak in all that they have to offer.  They continue on so that that “particular activity” can complete its purpose.

I love the Thanksgiving season.  To me, it is like Advent- a whole season to prepare us for a day brimming with celebration and thanks.  It is a whole period of time to reflect on what amazing things God has done for us, an extended time to dwell on and soak in the abundance of God.

Our family started a tradition several years ago.  We have a Blessings Jar- a fat little ceramic pot with a cork on top and “Blessings” engraved across the front.  We begin our season of thanks on Halloween night with a special “Russian Tea Ceremony”.  Russian Tea is a special hot wassail-like drink that my family had all Fall and Winter when I was growing up.  Russian Tea has come to signify the beginning of Fall and the Thanksgiving season.  On October 31st we have Russian Tea at a special carpet picnic and open our Blessings Jar for the first time that year.  Every night at dinner we each write one thing we are thankful for on a slip of paper and drop it into the Blessings Jar after sharing it with the family.  On Thanksgiving Day we open the jar for the last time that season and read all of the papers again, reminding us of the abundance of ways we have been blessed.  It is fun to see the flavor of our thanks fluctuate each year as different circumstances punctuate our lives.

I pray that this season of Thanks will be rich for you and your family, that your cup will overflow with blessings and that goodness and mercy will follow you relentlessly (Psalm 23:5-6).  I pray that you will soak in all that this season has to offer you and that you will enjoy every facet of this period of time for reflecting on the abundance of God.  Church Planting is more like an era with many seasons within. It is a wild ride that can make the spiritual seasons seem like they are coming and going faster than the loops on a roller coaster.  I pray that before this season whisks by you will find the time to quiet your soul and reflect on the many ways you are blessed.

Questions for reflection:

Looking back over the past year, how have I grown?  Am I closer to God than I was last year?

What has God been teaching me during this particular season?

Who has He been to me for this season?  What more does He want to be for me?

Have I gleaned all I can from this season?  How can I get more out of it?

Make a list of ways you have been blessed this year.