Sitting in my office, as the 11:00 AM service is over and the 1:00 PM service about to start.....
Thinking about stuff.
Sorry I haven't blogged for a week. Been crazy busy.
I just want to say that I love Living Hope.
I think really that seeing is believing. Seeing God and trusting His character is what matters in the midst of going through trials.
Next month on the 4th of October I will celebrate being a Christian 20 years. Every day I thank God for saving me. That is the easy part of salvation.
Praising God in the midst of difficult circumstances, is....well...difficult. (To say the least.)
I am grateful for people who willingly lay down their lives for others.
James says, "...when trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested; your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything." James 1:2-4
This verse has been one of the more difficult things about faith to understand. As I grow in my faith, I am realizing that faith cannot grow WITHOUT trouble, or problems, or trials, or testing.
Key words:
WHEN... troubles come your way...... WHEN your faith is tested..... (Notice it isn't IF, it is WHEN testing happens.)
SO LET IT GROW....
LETTING IT GROW MEANS LETTING GO.
This is the choice part. Our faith will be tested. Our faith may not always grow because surrender is the most difficult thing we will do. To follow Christ involves bearing crosses. To follow means to deny ourselves. To follow means to surrender. To surrender means to endure and to endure means to become strong in character and ready for anything.
I love sometimes how the most unexpected or unplanned things become the best moments.
I got an e-mail earlier in the week from the Missions Pastor of NEW HOPE CHURCH in Hawaii. Amazing church with thousands in weekend attendance, multi site church and through the leadership of the pastor Wayne Cordeiro they have planted over 80 new churches. All of this in 13 years. Incredible story.
Anyway, I was asked through e-mail to do an I-chat, which I thought he wanted me to G-talk. One is a video connection, G-talk is instant messaging (for those who don't know).
The next day Wayne Cordeiro decided he wanted to interview me. At that point I started to think,"How is this going to work through instant messaging?" THEN, I found out it would be a video interview. What was supposed to be 45 minutes became almost an hour and a half. Very cool experience.
So cool. Wayne was in Eugene, Oregon, I was at my house and the students were in Honolulu at college.
The power of technology! Even though we had a few glitches, it was one of the highlights of my week.
HERE'S SOME THOUGHTS:
1. It made me remember when we started Living Hope. Wayne's questions were SO good. When we started Living Hope none of us really knew what we were doing. We visited churches, went to conferences and just had a deep, authentic and burning passion to reach people who didn't know Jesus.
2. It made me appreciate the families and people who have risked along the way to reach our community.
3. It made me say ONLY GOD (again), as Wayne talked to the students about what God can do. It was so powerful.
4. It showed me yet again how much I love investing in the life of pastors. Helping smaller churches is becoming one of the greatest passions of my life. We never had any support in the early days. It really shouldn't be like that. Not the design of God (for sure). I want to commit a portion of the rest of my life being more intentional in this.
5. Wayne asked me a question something like this: "In the last 5 years you have grown by over 4000 people. How have you dealt with potential burn-out?" Basically I talked about how I think we can become defined by what we do. Numbers, lists of fastest growing churches, buildings, new campuses, and it goes on and on and on. Sometimes we have to stop to go forward. I shared with the class some pretty vulnerable things about how fast we can lose our joy. I shared with them how in the early days I was excited to be a pastor to people. As the church has grown, so much has had to change. Structure, time with people, etc. Change is difficult. Someone this week said that they missed the Grange and wish it were that way again. I said, simply if it were, how many people would we not be reaching? I am learning balance in my life (what a concept). I shared with the students. It was really good.
6. Wayne asked me what I thought were the main things a senior pastor should have. My opinion is a senior pastor has to have a deep passion to reach lost people. That will become the thing that guides everything else. Reaching people is our absolute number one priority. Jesus said in Luke 19:10, "I have come to seek and save the lost." If a pastor doesn't have a passion to reach the lost, honestly let someone else be the senior leader. I think beyond that, a senior leader ought to have a gift of evangelism. Also, a senior pastor has to have the gift of leadership. Romans 12:8 says, "Lead with all diligence". Also, I think a senior pastor should have a teaching gift. He will be doing the majority of teaching. In addition, to be a pastor, you are a shepherd.
7. The students asked me questions. They wanted to know about our spontaneous baptisms. One guy asked about the tiger jumping on me. I shared how people have thrown a lot of stones at Living Hope because they think it is about hype and all of that. We clearly are about reaching people. I shared how in that one weekend we had 3500 visitors and over 800 people come to Christ. Animals drew people, the media was there, and people were saved. We will do what we can to reach people for Jesus. The line? Anything short of sin. We talked about our weekend experiences. How we intentionally ask each weekend, "What do I want people to know and where do we want them to go?" We talked about how our thing is to be predictably unpredictable and how we strive to celebrate Easter every weekend.
8. Wayne asked me what I was looking for in a staff person, and what matters for these students.
Character that honors the name of Jesus. Who are you when no one is looking. Because that is who you are. Character is the foundation for leadership. We talked a little about that.
Courage to step out. Courage to only please the audience of one. I told them when LH first started I had no clue how many times I would get hurt because of what people would say or when people would leave. I am learning what it means in my life to please the audience of one. We talked about courage. If character is the platform or foundation, courage through initiative establishes a leader. People will follow when someone chooses to lead, to risk and to have courage. Look through the Bible. Courage is about NOT QUITTING. It is easy to quit.
Culture matters alot. We talked about almost 95% of people hired at Living Hope have been part of Living Hope. The few times we have gone outside to hire pastors and leaders it has at times been a challenge. Culture is the DNA or smell of a church. Culture matters. Not only the culture of an organization, but the culture around it. Stay real and be relevant. In culture also, at LH it is team environments.
I told them some of the ways we are learning right now. Connection issues, stuff like that.
I talked about how we have to risk more to reach more.
I shared with them how they have one life. One life.
Those are my thoughts the best I can remember.
It was a really great experience meeting Wayne Cordeiro. We are going to get together soon. I am hoping he can come speak at Living Hope someday. He is one of the best and brightest church leaders in America today. His books are many and have touched thousands and thousands of people, including me. So thanks Wayne.
Students. You may or not read this blog, but thanks for listening. I had alot of fun. SO NERVOUS. Wayne Cordeiro. Are you kidding? But I had fun and hope the words and thoughts of our church called Living Hope inspires you to dream big for God. You matter more than you can know. Learn what you can. Then prayerfully and willingly go into this world and tell everyone about Jesus Christ. It isn't about religion, but a relationship with the God that loves them.
I wanted to share some stuff. Hope to get the video and will upload it to my leadership blog site.
Before I forget, I want to download my wedding thoughts from last weekend.
I have known Duane and Trinette for close to 25 years. We met in the Air Force in Tacoma at McChord Air Force Base. I "met" their son before he turned one.
Kyle. I have watched him grow into quite the amazing young man. He married Candace yesterday. They live in Seattle (and want us to start a campus up there).
It is the first wedding I have done all year. In fact, with the changes around Living Hope in the last several years, I have been unable to do very many weddings.
OK....THOUGHTS
1. God's math is pretty incredible. Two become One. For all of the weddings I have done, I still can't figure it out, and I am glad for that. It is the mystery of marriage.
2. I shared with them a few things:
See each other as a GIFT from God. At the wedding, which has been ruthlessly planned, we get the gift thing. It is when the marriage starts that we forget. In God's economy He gave you a precious gift. A person to share life with. A gift should be handled with care and respect. We ought to use words to build each other up. A gift is something we are grateful for (mostly...) and I think the longer we are married the more we have to be intentional in this.
Have you stopped seeing your husband or wife as a gift from God? Be real. It is easy to get apathetic in marriage. Apathy is simply indifference. You can't change the past (deep thought), so why do you keep trying? Start today treating the person you are married to as a person that was created in the image of God and made one with you. You have to first see and then seize. See what God sees and seize today.
GRACE CHANGES EVERYTHING. Give grace. Give it wrecklessly. Give it unashamedly. Give grace to this person you will spend your life with. Check out this thought: We will either "give in" or we will "give up".
Las Vegas is now the #1 place in the WORLD for weddings. It is also (ironically) the number one place in America where divorces happen most. When marriages start to move from romance to roommate mode, very commonly there is a serious deficit of grace within the relationship. When grace stops, relationally things begin to drift. IF we gave grace to each other a fraction of the way God gives grace to us, it would change EVERYTHING.
I love the symbols of weddings. I love seeing the groom stare at his soon to be bride. Kyle loves Candace. They planned a great wedding. Friends were there, every detail was perfect. Every song was planned. Everyone was dressed nicely. The sand ceremony was cool (new for me).
We wouldn't need grace if marriage could be like weddings. Life doesn't work that way. It never has. Marriage doesn't work that way either. When two become one, in order to stay "one" we need to do alot of dying to self.
GRACE IS THE HARDEST THING TO GIVE AND CHANGES THINGS THE MOST.
GOD IN THE CENTER
I think once we see our spouse as a gift, we live in grace, we have to let God build things. Psalm 127:1 says, "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." If God isn't building us, if we are not following Him, learning from Him, growing in Him, then we are not keeping Him in the center.
God in the center of a marriage is what makes the difference. Seeing Michelle as a gift from God, giving grace to her (actually she gives way more to me), can only happen if God is the foundation of my life.
Matthew 7 talks about building on a solid rock. When the storms come, the house will stand. For almost 25 years of being married, I have been a Christ Follower 20 of those years. It has made the difference to trust God and lean on Him and pray with Michelle.
God in the center. It just works.
There are my wedding thoughts. Wanted to get them down, since it is the only wedding I have done all year. Thank God for Living Hope pastors who do all of the weddings now. Probably over 60 or 70 between all of them this year. Tell them how much you appreciate them. They are way better at weddings than me, but I am glad I got to marry Kyle and Candace. Meant alot to Michelle and I.
Until next time.
JOHN
PS
If you follow me on Twitter you know about the sock thing. IF you don't you should. I do multiple daily updates. It is fun and pretty cool communication. You can join on the front of my blog. SOCKS. I forgot black socks. I have one suit, one. Hope to never own more..... Anyway, I forgot the socks to match my black Echo shoes. Ya. Options. Find black socks at stores. Couldn't find any in a few stores. Option #2 I got offered black nylons. You read that right. Nylons as in girl socks. Option #3 Go without socks and be like Rick Warren. I chose Option 3.
I love the local church. I love the people that God chooses to lead His church.
One of my favorite things is hearing what other churches are up to, how they are reaching people and making a difference in their communities. I love to read blogs, read articles, watch videos, and follow twitters of people doing all they can to build the Kingdom of God. I hope as a pastor I am always learning.
There are so many amazing churches who are finding unique, creative, cutting edge ways to communicate the gospel while making use of all the technology and gadgets available in our generation.
Through these blogs and websites we get a glimpse into the themes and ideas that God places on the hearts of his leaders. We see real people, walking authentic journeys with their God and with the people trusted to their leadership. We get to be part of something bigger than ourselves, and our little piece of the pie.
As much as God can do through Living Hope, I am reminded daily how much God can, and wants to do through HIS CHURCH as a whole.
It’s a privilege to glean wisdom and insights from some of our nation’s most creative pastors & leaders. I appreciate the friendship and leadership of each one of them.
Take the time to check out some of the new blogs and churches featured here. I will over time add new churches and blogs to this list.
Send some comments and encouragement.
Let's be about cheering the greater Body of Christ.
"...Faith in transition." Those are the words in an article announcing to the public that Ray Boltz is gay. Married 33 years to his wife Carol, now divorced, living in Florida. His quote, "I am living a normal gay life."
When I became a Christian I was deeply moved by his songs. "The Anchor Holds" and "Thank You" in particular.
His albums, tapes, and CDs have a total sales of over 4.5 million.
He sang at a Promise Keepers gathering in Washington DC to over a million men.
Point is.....THE SONGS HE WROTE BECAUSE OF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD SPOKE TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. Including me. I was a pretty new Christian, and bought everything he wrote. I actually still have a few VHS tapes.
The article says "his faith is in transition." I have no issue with transition. My life is in transition. Whose isn't?
I think it comes down to trust really. I have questions when a guy whose music significantly impacted my life is now questioning his faith. I guess as I write this I am confused. I am not coming down on him or judging him in any way. I will not throw stones at others. Not what Jesus did and NOT what God has called me to do.
My commitment is to share the truth unashamedly. This blog isn't about sin, but really about trying to understand how things like this can happen.
Another big shock just a few weeks back.
Remember the song "Healer" written by the pastor in Australia named Mike Guglielmucci? If you haven't heard the song, you should. it is a song that I connected with so much when I first heard it.
When I was in Australia last year, I did the message "The Grace Chair" in several churches. At Hawkesbury church I first heard this song. During the invitation to sit in the Grace Chair, that song was sung. I became undone and was prompted by God to sit in the chair of grace myself. All of the times speaking the message I had never felt led to sit in the chair. It is a song I brought back to our church. Somehow healing happened in my heart during those moments in a way I still do not understand.
Michael wrote that song in the wake of having terminal cancer. For two years he sang it, it quickly rose to become the second most popular song in all of Australia. It is on Hillsong's newest CD.
Michael just recently admitted that he lied about having cancer. HE LIVED AND LIED FOR TWO YEARS. Michael recorded at and sang at Hillsong on their stage with oxygen tubes in his nose.
I talked to a friend in Adelaide, and will be going there later this year to speak at a few different churches and will be meeting with Danny (his dad). Michael is currently taking a break to get healthy. Read the article here.
THE POINT OF THIS BLOG IS TO ASK THE QUESTION, how do we respond?
1. Although I may not agree with or understand someone's choices, I HAVE TO CHOOSE TO LOVE THEM AND ACCEPT THEM.
I don't want to end agreeing with the choices.
2. Second thought...A song can change a person's life even though that person changes.
I want to simply share about God's love/grace and our acceptance.
3. God can, and in fact, does use anything or anyone.
4. Pray for Ray Boltz. Pray for his family. Pray for his kids.
5. Pray for Mike, and his family as well. We can't know all of the details, and really we don't need to. We can know that all of us have made mistakes. All of us need grace. Choosing life is choosing to bless, to pray and to accept.
After all is said and done, the fact remains that LOVE ALWAYS, ALWAYS WINS, and ONLY GOD can use anything for His glory. He is in control.
I WANTED TO GIVE A FEW UPDATES FOR SOME DIFFERENT THINGS:
OUR NEW SERIES:
Our Beyond Belief series is in its second week.
Last week we talked about the importance of following. We looked at the life of a person that was a bad dude. Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector. A person despised by his fellow Jews. I love that Jesus asks Matthew to follow Him. Following involves denying (in the Greek disowning) ourselves. Following involves crosses. A cross is anything that inhibits or prohibits a person from being fully devoted to Christ. A cross is something we have to pick up daily. For the early disciples, crosses were persecution and many times death. A cross is uncomfortable. Everyone has a cross to bear. Many times this is the point of disconnection in our lives as Christ followers.
This weekend, I am doing a wedding for Pastor Duane's son Kyle. Pastor Rick Bosch did a talk on the Holy Spirit. I have heard nothing but amazing things. If you missed his talk, make sure to catch it online. I also heard the choir was incredible. Even wearing robes.... come on.
Next week I am going to talk about Trust. What happens when we come to Christ, we begin the journey of following. We are filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit. THEN WHAT? Something happens that doesn't match up with our plans or our goals and we begin to doubt God. Trust is so important. We need to learn how to make choices that keep us in the center of God's will.
THIS WEEK: Pray for me if you can. Super busy week. We get home Monday from the wedding and I fly back out (by myself) on Thursday to Los Angeles. TBN is interviewing me, and wants to know about Living Hope Church. Pretty cool opportunity to tell the ONLY GOD story. It is taped Thursday and will be shown internationally on Thursday the 18th at 7pm & 9pm, and again on Friday the 19th at 2pm. I fly home Friday from LA and will be at church all weekend.
MY GRANDPA: Also, I wanted to thank everyone for praying for my grandpa (pop). Your prayers have made such a difference in his life and health. THANK YOU. He is on oxygen full time, but remains up the majority of the time. Weird to think about life sometimes. I am so glad we got to go to a few places together. If you want to get a card to him (some have asked) maybe drop it off at church and I will personally deliver it for you. Thanks.
MICHELLE: As many people know, Michelle was sick most of last year. She lost close to 30 pounds, suffered with migraines and was sick much of the time. As of now, she has gained back almost 15 pounds and is so much better. Again, for those of you that knew and have been praying, thanks. I wonder if seeing how prayer works would make us pray more? I am so thanking God, because she was pretty sick for months (in a 19 month period). She told me and I quote, "Thank everybody for their continuous prayers. I know I could not have gotten through this year without your prayers, love and support."
KATIE: Katie (my oldest daughter) is planning on going to Multnomah in January. We are excited for all that God has in store for her as she steps out in her life. When she was a little girl, I gave her a verse that she now says is her life verse.
Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans for you," says the LORD (Yahweh). They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future a hope..."
The immediate context of this passage is God ending the captivity of Israel. The promise is still the same for us today. We become "captive" to so many things. Good things, but in the process we miss the best God has. Trusting Him in the middle of uncertainty is the most difficult thing to do. If it were easy, it wouldn't so much be trust.
Look at the next part of the passage.... "In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you," says the LORD... Jeremiah 29:12, 13a
In those days WHEN you pray. IF you look for me....WHEN YOU SEEK ME....
Notice the words? When you see a promise of God, generally there is a premise or a step for us to take. God wants me to pray when stuff is out of control. It is when I pray, IF I look for Him, etc.
Katie could do anything she wants to do. I have been telling all of my kids that their whole lives. I am proud of them no matter what. And am there for them.
I think so much we allow circumstances and captivity to prevent us from seeing all that God has for us. He wants to end the captivity and restore things.
I posted a different post that was funny late last night (actually early this morning). I woke up and realized what day it was. I unpublished the post. I had to. Why?
7 years ago today. Do you remember where you were? What you were doing? Who you were with?
7 years ago today I woke up at 6:30 AM and saw images that I can still remember to this moment. We lived in Yacolt, Washington and remember how surreal it was. A moment that I still can't comprehend. Planes being used as weapons to slam into buildings. The images later, people running, the white cloud of smoke as the first tower collapsed, images of firefighters going into sure death to fulfill the oath they made to rescue and save people. I remember seeing the horrific scene of people actually jumping from the tower out of windows.
Later in the week as stories came in, as people searched for survivors, I remember getting with Dave and changing our entire service to better serve and speak to the need within our community. In fact, then we did a whole series about how to survive storms.
As I type these words, I am watching the news, LIVE from the Pentagon. I am watching the families cry, watching President Bush hold back tears, listening to music, "Hand in Hand We Will Stand"
Now, they are reading the names of all of the people who died at ground zero 7 years ago today.
Scenes from Shanksville, PA where 40 people died on a plane that because of acts of heroism was cut short of its intended target.
Remember the families, pray for our country. Thank God for people who serve, protect and are willing to give their lives for us.
Last thought. Every one of the people who tragically died, never woke up that morning thinking they would. There were husbands, wives, students, children and single adults who lived in New York, who got on a flight, who may or may not have said goodbye to people in their homes.
There were business leaders who never got to see another balance sheet. People who were good people, and who were alive as the sun rose and who never were able to see the sun set on that same day September 11, 2001.
A "normal" day that changed America. It changed all of us. It changed our sense of security. It changed the way we check in at airports. It changed the world as well. 90 countries lost citizens on that day. I would say this day 7 years ago changed our world.
Now President Bush is speaking at the Pentagon. He is dedicating a memorial to the 144 innocent people who died 7 years ago today. A place of tribute. President Bush said, "On a day when buildings fell, heroes rose". He said they can break our buildings, but they can't break our resolve. (Side note: Did you know that from all of the damage done to the Pentagon, it was reconstructed before 9/11 a year later?)
All I can do, I guess, is remember the victims, pray for the families and live for this day alone.
Life is short, to say the least. We spend a lot of time regretting the past and worrying about the future and in the process simply miss living today.
Yesterday I took Katie (my daughter) to Multnomah School of the Bible, which is now officially Multnomah University. We spent several hours touring (thanks Dave J), ate lunch on campus, met with a counselor. She was nervous, and yet by the end of the day she was excited and will be attending hopefully next semester (if she gets accepted).
Today is the only day you have, my friends. You can't choose what will happen, but you certainly can choose your attitude. Today is all you have ever. To live worried is sin. To live regretting is wrong. Maybe do something with a friend, or your wife or your kids that you otherwise wouldn't have done? Why not?
Tuesday is the day for me to begin to get my bearings for the week. I take Monday and "try" to rest. Usually I am working on message stuff, and organizing stuff for the week. Meetings, thoughts, etc.
TODAY, a relatively normal day, turned into a rescue day. Thank God Eric (my friend) happened to witness my acts of heroism. I have to share.
So I went for a jog today. As I left my driveway, a dog began to follow me. Nice dog with big teeth. It was a female boxer.
I didn't think much about it until I crossed the intersection a few blocks from my house. Eric was there at the stop sign.
I stopped to talk to him, and the dog, which I later discovered her name is"Anna", waited for me. The problem was, unnoticed by me, she waited IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. Promise, I was chatting and didn't notice what the dog was doing. As I saw traffic slowing and frustrated, I noticed the dog was walking, pacing and causing traffic to slow down, as she was apparently waiting for me?
As I talked to Eric, everything at this point is a blur. All I remember was being willing to sacrifice whatever for the sake of the one dog who was lost and who was in harms way. I have come to find out, i am willing and ready to leave the 99 dogs to go after the one.
I courageously (ask Eric) walked into the middle of the intersection, abandoning all sense of logic, and stopped cars to save the life of Anna.
Interestingly as I saved Anna, people judged me inappropriately. They "assumed" that she was my dog. They assumed that I was not paying attention. One lady looked at me with a mild level of contempt. I never noticed Anna. She followed and I guess you could say I wasn't dog aware.
Needless to say, after a dog is saved it is loyal to you. Anna followed me back home. I had to finish running later (I did).
When we got back to the house, I gave her some much needed water. Her mouth was parched and she seemed hungry. I had no food, so I gave her some pizza. Don't get upset, it was just a small piece. I need to buy food just in case I have another emergency animal traffic extraction in the future.
Anna hung out for awhile. I tried to call the number on her tag, but the voice mail was met with I think someone who may have been Korean? In any case I couldn't understand it. The second number yielded good results, we left a message and are pretty convinced Anna was picked up.
She seemed content and drank some more water and after a while was off again. I think she went home. I hope she went home.
Prodigal dogs are always best when they return to their masters.
Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
I love this verse. I love eagles. I wanted to show a few pictures and share a couple thoughts I have been having lately.
Hope it finds you doing well. More than that, I hope that those of you who are in a season of uncertainty, you will wait on Yahweh, you will find new strength IN HIM alone and you will rest in His grace.
Thinking about storms, and with the different various tropical storms in the gulf, I have been praying for familes in that region of our country. Can't imagine what it must feel like to evacuate your home just a few years after total devastation from Katrina. Pray for those families if you can.
I was thinking about the way an eagle gets through a storm. Lessons we can learn when we find ourselves in storms. Also, I added some facts to this post below:
FIND THE STORM
Did you know that an eagle knows when a
storm is approaching long before it breaks?
I think in ANY crisis, marital, relational, financial or vocational, in a storm or I should say conflict instead of finding the storm, we ignore it as if it isn't there. Finding the storm to me means having the courage to admit things aren't that good. Finding a storm means being honest about what truth is. Finding a storm means you are proactive in approach. Storms are reality. Trials are reality. Conflict is reality. Jesus said, in this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world.
Last week, I had the 2 year (really 2 1/2) cancer check up. I blogged about the results and shared at some of the Sunday services, but I am cancer free.
IF there was a suspicious mole, the doctor would have wanted to remove it. I would have had to say yes. Think about this. If there is a potential for cancer in my body, what kind of foolish decision would it have been if I would have said, no doc, I think it isn't cancer and if it is...maybe it will go away on it's own?
Right. SO, FIND THE STORM. Talk to your kids if you see something wrong. Take the time to go to counseling.
Finding the storm is the first step to getting through it. It is about being real.
FACE THE STORM
The eagle will fly to some high spot
and wait for the winds to come.
Because a storm is inevitable, the eagle faces it. In fact waits for it.
In my life, I have seen people not face but fly away from it.
Storms in our lives will make us stronger, IF we face them. The truth about most of us is that storms are out of our control, and maybe that is the biggest point of all? Maybe God wants to use your life in a way that He alone is glorified. I remember having cancer, and at first thinking what the heck. I remember talking to my family. I remember how each of my kids handled "the storm" so differently. I remember sitting down, crying with them, meeting with just our family and trying to process all that God was allowing.
I remember a point when logically we were going to take some time away (who would blame you) to rest and get perspective. I would take a break from the pulpit, etc.
I remember my little 5-foot wife saying, "No, we aren't leaving, and you are not taking a break. YOU WILL be on that stage this weekend. WE WILL get through this together. GOD WILL WIN whatever the outcome is". I thought, heck why don't you speak.....
I did face the storm. And, I am better today because of it.
Whatever your storm is. Maybe it isn't about "finding" the storm? Maybe it has already found you?
BUT, facing it is an important step in the healing process.
Face the storm. Embrace the storm. Take your stage. Allow God to be glorified, whatever that may mean. James said, "Consider it all joy when you face various trials" . The word for various in the Greek is a word that we get polka dot from. Different shapes and different sizes.
FLY ABOVE THE STORM
When the storm hits, it sets its wings
so that the wind will pick it up
and lift it above the storm.
While the storm rages below,
the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm.
It simply uses the storm to lift it higher.
It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
I love that. The eagle USES the winds of the storm to fly actually above it.
Most storms get fought in our flesh. I think flying above it is to be on your knees.
So often, I can face the storm alright, but the problem is I do it in my own strength. I fail to realize that the battle is not against flesh and blood. It is a spiritual battle and has to be fought at that level.
The church organized a prayer thing that I believe was the catalyzing difference in the cancer not spreading beyond level 3. I talked to the doctor this week, he said I was pretty lucky to have caught that mole when I did. It was on my upper thigh, so had never been exposed to direct sunlight.
PRAYER IS THE DIFFERENCE. ALWAYS. In my life, I have seen God's hand so powerfully move through my prayers. Prayer is communication and invitation. It is communicating with your daddy. It is invitation because I am inviting God to help guide me. When I pray I am above the conflict. When I pray I am able to see differently. When it comes to staff decisions or dad stuff at home. Prayer always makes things different.
Find the storm, be real.
Face the storm and be courageous.
Fly above the storm with praying. Fight the fight on your knees. Be quick to pray. See the people as people that matter to God. The battle isn't about people, it is a spiritual thing.
I have been thinking about this stuff for a while, wanted to share it.
We had a good start to what I think will be a needed series. Loved all the original songs this weekend.
JOHN
Below are some eagle facts
FACTS:
The strike of the eagle talon is so powerful that its force is twice that of a rifle bullet.
Whenever a bald eagle migrates south it always goes to the same spot and when it returns north it always goes back to the same spot.
There are approximately 7,000 feathers on an eagle.
Pound for pound, an eagle's wing is stronger than the wing of an airplane.
An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.
Bald eagles are not really bald. Their head is actually covered with white feathers. The white feathers on their head comes when they are 5 or 6 years old.
Baby eagles are partially covered with down, but when they leave the nest, they have dark feathers all over.
The female can be one third larger than the male.
They have wide long wings that help them stay in the air.
A bald eagle's wingspan is normally 8 feet.
Usually they live near the sea.
They only live in trees 75 feet or higher.
Bald eagles add to their nest over and over. Sometimes it can take a pair of eagles as long as six weeks to build their nest for the first time.
The aerie is the large nest made of sticks and lined with twigs and green grass.
The heaviest nest ever found is 1 ton. (That's 2000 pounds!)
They mate for life.
The female may lay from one to three eggs and raises one brood (group) a year. If these eggs are destroyed, the female may lay more eggs. It takes four weeks for an eagle egg to hatch.
Eaglets grow slowly and need a large amount of food.
Bald eagles normally eat fish.
Sometimes they will eat snakes and smaller birds.
They have long sharp beaks and curved talons to help hold prey.
They can fly with 8 pounds of food.
Bald eagles help man by catching rodents and rabbits that destroy grain fields.
Eagles have great eyesight that helps them see for one to one and a half miles away. (Thus the term eagle's eye.)
Their eyesight and diving ability help them catch food.
Bald eagles are the national symbol of the United States.
There are 59 species of eagles.
The bald eagle has a lifespan of approximately 25 years in the wild but may live 40 years or more in captivity.
Bald eagles can fly about 65 miles per hour and soar at altitudes of 10,000 feet. They can reach a speed of up to 200 miles per hour when diving.
New series starting this weekend. The set is incredible. Thanks to everyone who worked hard on it.
I will dig into asking the question, "After saying yes to God, what is next?"
I think there are catalyzing points in our lives where our faith grows. For disciples, Jesus was their Rabbi, their teacher and friend. They "followed" Him, learned from Him, walked with Him and in essence lived with Him for over 3 years. Talk about intentional discipleship.
Think about this:
BEFORE BELIEF, for centuries most people found their way to a local church. After a period of searching, seeking, asking questions, watching and learning there is that time of surrender. Saying yes to God and calling on the name of Jesus Christ.
This week, Brush Prairie Baptist Church (our neighbor) is celebrating their 145th year anniversary. I thought Living Hope was old....12 years almost. Congratulations Brush Prairie Baptist Church.
BEYOND BELIEF is all of the next steps between now and eternity. Things like why the Bible matters, how to pray, how to understand the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, etc.
In fact the last installment will be BEYOND BELIEF, "Eternity." I will allow people to text message questions during the message about eternity. Questions such as: What is heaven like? Why would a good God allow people to go to hell? When does it happen? How can a person clearly know for sure?
THIS IS GOING TO BE A SERIES FOR ANYONE SEARCHING, FOR NEW CHRIST FOLLOWERS AND FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GROW IN THEIR FAITH.
See you this weekend! By the way. All of our Sunday services are beyond capacity, and our 11:00 AM service (coming out of summer) is standing room only, with no empty seats, people in overflow and even offices watching the message. IF you are willing, please consider a different service on Saturday, or Sunday 9 or 1 pm or maybe even a campus. NO pressure, but just asking.
ALSO, thanks for stepping up in the giving area these last couple weeks. Everyone doing what they can is all that matters. THANKS.
Thursday I have a pretty "big" appointment. 2 year check-up with my dermatologist.
If you didn't know, I got malignant cancer in April 2006. Skin cancer.
I have been cancer free for 2 years (hopefully...)
I am trusting God and very grateful to be able to be a cancer survivor.
Funny thing is, when I first was diagnosed and went through a couple surgeries, at the end of the day I was told I had a 50% chance of making it until 5 years.
Cancer is a big word. Malignant is a big word. Surgery is a big word. 50% chance of dying...big words.
There came a point where I just decided to believe what was truth. Cancer is big, and God is bigger. Malignant is big, Jesus is bigger, ya know?
Here is the Psalm that I held on to, "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." Psalm 73:26
Here we were, planning to launch 5 campuses, Easter, stuff going on, lives to be changed and cancer? Whatever.
I can honestly say now looking back, it was one of the most painful and peaceful times of my entire life.
Being told you have cancer pretty much sucks. Mr In control was officially OUT OF CONTROL. When I came to that place, God truly was the strength of my heart. I love that verse.
Knowing you only have God in the midst of pain and trials and problems can result in ONLY GOD peace.
I have a scar on my leg to always help me to remember.
To remember I am human, temporal and frail. In fact the older I get, I get shin splints stepping off a curb.
To remember life is short. James talks about our lives being compared to a mist or a vapor. Here and gone.
To remember to invest in God's greatest vision....PEOPLE.
To remember that ultimately God will give and will take away. Blessed be HIS name alone.
To remember God has appointed a day for all of us to die and nothing can change it. 50%? I trust God. He is the strength!!
To remember that investing in the local church is the best way to invest in redeeming lives for all of eternity.
To remember I am a follower of Jesus first, a husband second and a father third. The church is after those three things.
To remember God one day will heal my body totally and completely, either here or in eternity.
To remember those days a couple years ago when hundreds (and hundreds) of people prayed for our family. I still have the list in my kitchen to this day. When I look at the list, I am reminded that I am more valuable than a message.
OK. All of that to say pray if you can. My prayer has been simple. Well, in fact right from Jesus' lips. "God, your will be done." Nothing more and nothing less.
Thanks for your prayers. Pray for the doctor. I am the last appointment of the day. Pray for attentiveness. Pray for discernment. Pray for my family and pray for the season we are in.
Thanks. The appointment is in Portland at 2:45 PM.
Take care, see you this weekend. Excited about the new series.
