What do you offer God?

Recently, I read again the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand men from John chapter 6. Now, I have read this passage numerous times and have heard it taught in different settings as well. One of the magnificent facets of God's Word is that no matter how many times you read it, there is always more to learn and understand. I had one of those experiences in reading this account as the application bomb went off in my heart as I read it again.

Here is a description of this account. Five thousand men were hungry. It wasn't just a Promise Keepers rally, there were woman and children there as well, but there is no record as to how many of them there actually were. It was late in the day and their stomachs were growling. Jesus didn't want to send them away and lose His audience. Jesus probably just assumed to keep them there so He could keep preaching. The disciples didn't have a clue what to do in order to feed this many people. They scratched their heads in mystery. Jesus sent them to find food. Andrew brought a young Jewish boy to Jesus who had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus then took what the boy offered and He gave thanks. Then the disciples facilitated a lunch for everyone in the crowd. The Bible says that "they all ate and were satisfied". They actually had leftovers when they were full.

Here is what hit me as I read this: No one knew what to do except Jesus. He simply asked the disciples to do what they could to find food. All that was available was a Jewish boy's lunch. When Jesus took seriously the boy's offering (lunch), I could imagine the disciples snickering at Him. I mean, how could such a small meal feed such a large crowd? In the eyes of the world, it was a joke. But with Jesus, it was potential for a miracle.

The beauty of the Jewish boy is that he offered all he had. Yes it wasn't a lot, but he offered everything. The principle that I learned is that God takes what we offer and multiplies it. The disciples represent our own human flesh. We may think that what we have to offer the Lord in terms of our gifts, talents and abilities isn't all that great, however, in the hands of a miracle worker, God can use us mightily for His honor and glory.

I have seen this principle in my own life. Since I was young, I always sensed the Lord calling me into ministry. One fear I had almost derailed my calling. Growing up, I always had a fear of public speaking. I would watch my Dad do it week after week as a pastor of our church and in other settings, and I saw him as being a great communicator. I never felt that I had what he had, if you know what I mean. I was actually terrified of speaking in public. 

I remember as a senior in high school considering my calling and being afraid to declare a ministry major in college because of my fear of getting up in front of a group to say something. This fear was crippling my ability to follow the call of God.

As I started college, I declared as a business administration major. I figured, I could easily go into business and not have to do much up front communicating. After all, I was better in small groups and one-on-one. Every time I considered getting up in front of a group, I would literally get sick to my stomach. I thought, there is no way I am cut out to be a pastor.

During my freshman year in college, the Lord spoke to me about my calling through a guest speaker we had in a chapel service. He challenged us to not allow anything to keep us from the calling God has on our lives. He pointed out how Moses, when called by God, looked at his inadequacies and questioned God's call. But God commanded Him to trust His power and His provision. That day, I went to the registrars office and changed my major to youth ministry. God told me that He was going to give me the strength to overcome my fear.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking has not been an easy road. I remember the first time I stood before my public speaking class as a sophomore in college and with fear and trembling delivered a seven minute speech in front of my professor and my critiquing classmates. God gave me strength and I made an A in that class. Every time I have spoken since, the Lord has given me everything I have needed to become a better communicator.

I have heard it said that God will equip those He calls. I have seen this true in my life. God can make impossible situations a possibility. God can take what we offer, or what we "bring to the table", and multiply what we bring and make it better. All that is required is our willingness to step out and make an offering. He won't bless and multiply if we are holding back and not stepping out for His use.

In closing, I want to ask you, what do you offer God? Are you allowing Him to use you at your full potential. Matthew 11:12 says, "God's kingdom is advancing and forceful people are taking hold of it." As followers of Christ, we are called to be missional. Being missional means to have a heart for and to be proactive in living the gospel before our neighbors with the intentions of leading them to faith in Jesus Christ. This can be done by getting involved in local church ministry, sharing Jesus with your neighbors, or living out your faith before your co-workers and classmates. I pray that each of us will offer God what He has given us. Bring to God what you have and watch to see what He will do to multiply your offering.

The Giver of Life

It's only appropriate that on the first day of Spring, we consider and think about new life. The day after I posted my most recent article to this blog, I found myself in the delivery room preparing myself to see life. You may recall, my last post was about death. Death is not of the Lord. Jesus conquered death by raising from the death. John 10:10 says that Jesus came "that we may have life." Psalm 36:9 says that God is "the giver of life". I was about to see my son for the first time.

There is no way to prepare yourself for the birth of a child. For nine months, the anticipation builds. For some moms, pregnancy is a breeze, for others it is long and at times uncomfortable. For the uncomfortable, the delivery can't come soon enough. You can anticipate the arrival, but until your baby is born, there is no way to put yourself in that moment. With each of my children, at the moment they were born, the presence of God was very real. It was as if time stood still. It was if God was yelling at me: "I love life and I love you". Because, in that moment, I saw the power and creativity of God. Psalm 139 speaks to this, "You knit me together in my mother's womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made." God is the designer and author of life. 

We had a great experience in the labor and delivery wing of the hospital. Those nurses love babies. They treated us as if we were family. They treated my newborn son as if he was their own child. I wish every pro-abortionist could spend the day shadowing one of those nursers. I have a feeling they would reconsider their position on life. Life is not for anyone to have the right to take. Life is of value. Each of us are created in God's image. Each one has value and should be given opportunity to live.

As I experienced the birth of a child for the fourth time, I was reminded of what Jesus said in John 3 when He said, "You must be born again." Everyone is originally born with a sinful nature and is separated from God. In order to be brought into a right relationship with Him, we must place our trust in Jesus and receive all that He died and rose to give us. At the moment we trust Jesus to be our Savior, we are "born again". Jesus gives us new life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation, the old is gone, and the new is here!" Praise the Lord. May God bless you with new life. May you walk daily in the abundance the Christ brings as you yield yourself to Him.

I look forward to the day my son is born again!

Here I am with my new son, Isaac David, moments after his birth.  
He was born March 14 @ 7:33am. He weighed 7lbs 5oz and was 19 1/2".

Obsession With Death

As a youth pastor, being around teens, I have seen a heightened obsession with death. I see students who clothe themselves in all black. There are bands who have become popular with teens who's main agenda is death. There are TV shows that focus on death and one that has become popular is The Walking Dead. I have counseled numerous teens over the years who claim they have considered ending their life early. This obsession with death makes me sad because it is not of the Lord.

We have become desensitized to death because it has become so prevalent in culture. I read recently that the average teen will observe 50,000 murders take place, by the time they graduate from high school, through various media channels (*). This happens through watching the news, TV programs, video games, movies, music videos, and the list goes on. Death has crept into society and people have become immune to violence.

Those who are obsessed with death need to be cautious in their pursuits. What many people don't realize is that something that may seem so innocent can play right into the devil's hand. If a person is exposed to and is obsessed with death, then that can be a conduit for the terrible influence of the enemy upon a person's life. All the enemy needs is a foothold and then you will open yourself up to all kinds of problems that will cause major separation between a person and their Creator, God. The more a person is exposed to death and violence, it will lead them to places that are far from God. 

Humanity is of value. God has made every human being with a special design. Genesis 1:27 says that each of us were "created in the image of God". There is no one on the face of this earth who was created or born a mistake. Psalm 139:14 says that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". God holds us in high esteem and has given us life, and offers abundant life, through Jesus Christ. There is no need to linger in death because Jesus offers life. Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the LIFE." Jesus is Life!

Sanctity of life should be championed by all. We must guard our hearts and our minds and be transformed through the washing of the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. May we be careful to guard ourselves from lingering in death. May God give us life through Jesus, and as Jesus lives His life through us, may we bring life to dead places.


(*) Footnote:  www.parentstv.org 

The Importance of Integrity

I have learned many lessons in my life. One thing that has been clear to me as I have sat and listened to countless stories of heartache and pain, is that it is so important to be a person of integrity. Integrity will either make or break a person. I want to be a man of integrity because I believe God calls us to that.

If you do a Google search on the word integrity, you will read things like: the quality of being honest, having strong moral principles or moral uprightness. I believe integrity to be the way someone is when no one is watching. If you are one way in public but are different in private, no one will trust you. Integrity is when your public life matches up with your private life.

As you read through the Bible, we come to understand the importance of telling and living the truth. In the book of Proverbs 6, we read a list of what the Lord hates. Each example that is listed in this passage has to do with integrity. The reason for this is because truth is one of God's attributes. He is the Truth. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life." God and dishonesty do not operate in the same room. Also, we read in John 8:44 that the devil, is the "father of all lies".  Therefore, if a person is living in dishonesty, they are in a sense giving birth to death and giving ground to the enemy. If a person is not walking in integrity, then they are probably not walking with the Lord.

Integrity is something that takes a person a lifetime to achieve, but only takes a moment to destroy. Integrity is built over a lifetime of living in and walking with the truth. It is claiming what David said in Psalm 101:2, "I will walk in my house with a blameless heart."  God desires for us to be the same person in public and in private.

Imagine with me. Imagine if I were to fall into a sin that would severely damage my reputation as a follower of Christ, as a husband and dad and as a leader in the church. The affects of one fleeting moment would have a ripple affect that would throw away years of service and integrity. It would take me a long time to rebuild the trust of my family, friends and our community.  It would be as if I were to take a pillow outside on a windy day, cut it in half and let the feathers blow all over town. Then, go out later and try to gather up all the feathers to put my pillow back together. There is no way. The damage would already be done.

In conclusion, how does a person walk in integrity and avoid driving in a ditch? It takes tenacity. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit at work in a person's life. It also takes accountability. It is important to have people in your life who will ask you the tough questions. People who love you enough to point out your blind spots. Even in this setting of accountability, honesty is the key. If you can't be honest with yourself and close friends, then you will surely wind up in a place of failure. In a world that is becoming increasingly dishonest, may our lives be marked with the Truth. May our private lives match our public, to the honor and glory of God.