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When People Do You Wrong

Yesterday, shortly after I parked my truck at work and entered the building, someone stole my truck:

As part of life in a world where people do foolish things, and where people don’t mind hurting or taking advantage of others as long as it benefits them, we are going to encounter moments that are stressful, challenging, and uncomfortable.

As our team came back from lunch together yesterday, we noticed that my truck was not in its normal place. My teammates were laughing at the situation because they thought I had forgotten where I had parked. I was laughing at them because I thought they were playing a prank on me. But when we got to the security/loss prevention office, we all stopped laughing when we saw the footage of a suspicious vehicle and someone stealing my truck right after I had parked and entered the building.

I called the Sheriff’s Office and as we waited, we gathered the footage and placed it on a USB thumb drive for them. Our team ran copies of it through various video enhancement and license plate identification systems while we waited, and our head of LP leverage some of his specific knowledge, skills and contacts on my behalf.  As we were dropping all of our normal work to do this, a member of my team in New York covered for us and kept everything running. My day was not just wrecked because of the loss of my truck and the stress of the financial impact, but everything that I needed to get done that day was shot. And when I got home, I was so tired from the stress of the day that I couldn’t just work late to catch up. I couldn’t even start looking for vehicle options. I posted the video on my Facebook and was immediately flooded with more spam posts from scammers trying to share links to their Instagram pages than real comments from real people that know our follow me.  So I went to bed at 7:00PM and occasionally tried to block and hide spammers as I tried my best to settle down and rest.

Through all of this, I could have looked for people to blame. I could have been mad at people and mad at God. But what good does that ever do anyone, really? We can’t control other people, and we can’t control many of the circumstances we find ourselves in. We can look at what we can learn from a situation, what we can do differently, and how we can forgive others like we have been forgiven ourselves.

In a different life before I knew Jesus and before I committed to walk in The Way, I knew the criminal mindset and victim mindset and justifying bad decisions and criminal actions. So I could see the reflections of my own foolish past in the actions of these men played out on the video screen. I could laugh with the policeman when he asked for my name and let him know that he wouldn’t find any active warrants but that I was confident that he’d find me in the system. You see, there is an old man that I used to be. Someone that might have chased down these folks on my own to seek revenge and teach others through what happened to these guys to never ever come at me and mine again. But that approach was never fulfilling and began more wars than it ever ended.

So now I trust the one who has forgiven me, and I forgive others. You men who have chosen a life of crime, listen to me — it isn’t a shortcut to anywhere but destruction, self inflicted pain for you and your family and loved ones unless you turn away from your foolish ways and turn to God. I don’t have to get revenge, because you are destroying yourselves if you don’t repent and go another way. I don’t want revenge because I would rather see you listen to wisdom, know there is a better Way, choose to be forgiven and to walk in The Way following Jesus.

I remember when the accusers brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus asking Him what they should do with her, to which He replied to them, “Whoever is free from sin should cast the first stone.” — knowing that the law prescribed she be sinned to death. Jesus himself was free from sin and would have been justified to stone her, yet he showed mercy — even as the accusers all left convicted of their own sin.

I stand forgiven of all my sin by the power of the Blood of the Lamb, yet I will not stone you for the evil you have done against me. My God will turn what you meant for evil towards me to actually be a blessing. And I do not need to seek Vengeance because it is His to measure out as He pleases. My hope and prayer for you is that you will know the forgiveness and hope that I have found in Jesus. Amen.

‭Matthew‬ ‭6:9‭-‬15‬ ‭AMP‬
[9] “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. [10] Your kingdom come, Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]. [13] And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’ [14] For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/mat.6.9.AMP

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Is following Jesus “boring” or abundantly blessed?

Do we think that following Jesus is boring — or abundantly blessed?

Whether we’re talking about ancient or modern times, many of us might think that a life lived “undefiled in the way” is “boring at best”. I remember when I only saw the contrast of the temptations and pleasures of the world, the desires of my own heart, and my own feelings and opinions — where they conflicted with the wise instruction and guidance of God Word — and to a child’s foolish mind, it seemed restrictive instead of freeing. In fact, this lie of “lack” or “restriction” that the enemy is using to steal from us is that “if there isn’t any defilement in it, then it can’t be any fun”.

The reality of a whole life’s experience proves time after time that someone who walks in God’s word “knows the true blessedness of living and enjoying an undefiled life”. Surveys and polling data constantly demonstrate that those who live lives in general conformity to God’s standards — are happier, enjoy life more, and are more content. However, the illusion (and confusion) remains for many that a defiled life is more “fun.”

Hopefully, we all know that “sin is pleasurable for a season” — just like getting a high interest loan from a loan shark is fun while you’re out blowing the money on frivolous fun — but that the bill will come due, and that it will cost more than it was worth. A life full of this type of foolishness with no wisdom is disastrous and wasted, not fun or abundant or blessed.

So we need someone to teach foolish children what is wise versus what is foolish, what is healthy versus what is poison, what is best versus what is less — what is holy versus what is sin. In fact, many of us might be uncomfortable with “religious words” like “holy” and “sin” while we are fine with words like “wise, healthy, best” or “foolish, poison, less” until we have a good teacher that we trust. We need a teacher who is pure in His teachings and in His life example, who isn’t just another “used car salesman” or “send in your money wolf in a preacher costume”. We need to be taught by God and not just by a man.

And then it does little good to be taught by God and to know all of the wisdom, to know what is healthy, to see what is best — of we do not believe it and put it into action in our lives! We can’t just ponder The Way, we must practice it!

Do we treasure wisdom and The Way? Or do we trample it under our feet?

Do we love and search through the scriptures looking for wisdom to grab hold of and see come to life in us?

Do we cling firmly to the Word and the Cross as we had down this narrow path of The Way that is the blessed and abundant life — of do we waste it following the crowd down the broad way that leads to destruction?

We can look around and see the testimony of lives around us that are filled with foolishness versus wisdom. We can look at the proof in history of the lives before us. What evidence and proof will we leave for the children around us?

Lord, help us. Heal our unbelief. Correct our foolishness in mercy and love. Guide us in wisdom and protect us from evil. Amen.

‭Psalms‬ ‭119:1‭-‬2‬ ‭AMP‬
[1] How blessed and favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity, the upright, the guileless], Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and revealed will] of the Lord. [2] Blessed and favored by God are those who keep His testimonies, And who [consistently] seek Him and long for Him with all their heart.

https://bible.com/bible/1588/psa.119.1.AMP

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The Most Precious Gifts

In the month of December, we have my daughter’s birthday to celebrate, and we have Christmas to celebrate a week later. So this month will have a lot of gift giving. We have been buying and preparing our gifts and asking what my daughter and our family might like for a few months now. We have been shopping online, and my daughter and I even made a Thanksgiving trip to see my parents in Myrtle Beach and to brave the Black Friday shopping at the Tanger Outlet shops there. So “gifts” and “giving” are present in our thoughts and in our day’s activities more than usual.

With a daughter who was due on Christmas day, and who was ushered into this world with “All I want for Christmas is You” playing in the delivery room, Christmas always has me contemplating gifts like my daughter, my wife, family, friends, our health, our talents and abilities, the gospel and our God as much more valuable than any gift that will be wrapped under a tree, left by Santa, or delivered to us by those we love and that love us. The most precious gifts can’t be bought with money (no matter how far and wide Amazon Shopping expands their inventory lists, LOL).

If we can’t buy these “most precious gifts”, then where do they come from?

We’ve each received the gift of life, the breath in our lungs, the waking up each morning, the opportunities that each new day brings, the relationships with others, and an opportunity for relationship with the one who gives us these good and perfect gifts. We’ve each received an offer to turn away from a focus on the things of this world that can be bought or sold but that will fade away — to come back home to Him, to be a part of His family, to join in the truly good and truly great things. He doesn’t demand or force us to join Him, nor does He have to scare us away from the dangers we might be walking towards on our own — if we will just listen to His invitation, trust Him, and receive what is given to us freely.

What gift is better than a life where we harm ourselves less?

What gift is better than everybody understanding and peace when the hard times and loss that is part of this life come beating down on us?

What gift is better than no longer being a slave to addiction, or to our own desires, or to our passions, or toour feelings, or to our own opinions — but to know things like wisdom, self- control, patience, kindness and gentleness?

What gift is better than learning how to truly live and to truly love?

These most precious gifts come from above. Thank you Jesus!

‭James‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭AMP‬
[17] Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].

https://bible.com/bible/1588/jas.1.17.AMP

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Giving Thoughtfully and with Purpose

It’s easy to ask others for a list of things they want and then buy it. Or it is easy to buy 10 things that were on sale knowing that “We can give these to everyone for Christmas!” I know this because this is how we most times approach giving birthday or Christmss gifts. Our loved ones end up with good gifts and things they wanted. We aren’t bad people for our pragmatic and readonable approach to gift giving.

But some people are clearly thoughtful and purposeful with their gift giving. One year at Christmas, the relatively new girlfriend of a family member bought and made us all such thoughtful and purposeful gifts that it was an amazing display of love. It wasn’t that she spent an enormous amount of money, but that she clearly thought about “What would be the most meaningful gift for each person?” It was such a lovely and touching gesture that I still remember it years later every time that I see her at family events.

As a Christian, this is how I know that I am called to give — not just of gifts at Christmas and birthdays — not just of an obligatory tithe — not just of occasional service to my church and community — but of my life every day purposefully and intentionally. And when I say it like that, it immediately sounds like a burden, an obligation, a heavy weight that I clearly have been failing to live up to. It begins to sound that “whatever we know to do and don’t do it is sin”. And yes, it is falling short of the mark of perfection that should clearly distinguish His people from the rest of the world. It is my weakness on display instead of His glory.

So how does this change? Do I just need to try harder?

That isn’t The Way.

The Way starts with remembering Jesus. Remembering His body broken and His blood shed for us. Remembering that we have so much to be grateful for. Remembering that we are not powerless in our weaknesses but strong in His spirit. Remembering that we are to cry out to our Abba Father, confess and repent from our shortcomings, surrender our lives, see Christ alive in us and through us each day.

This call reminds us that we need daily bread that comes from Him, and that steam of fresh living water to nourish us today. We need Him to do the miraculous work through us to change our child, stony hearts and replace them with hearts that truly live and truly love.

Lord help us to see Your Love, to believe the gospel close and personally, to know the power of your touch, and to love and give off ourselves purposefully, intentionally and joyfully. Amen.

‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:7‬ ‭AMP‬
[7] Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].

https://bible.com/bible/1588/2co.9.7.AMP

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Let’s Be a Gift to Others Today

We each have a uniquely wonderful opportunity today to make the world a little bit better for those around us.

Whether you’re the janitor, the CEO, the office worker, the fork lift driver, the stay at home parent, the college student, the professor/teacher, the policeman, the struggling artist, the waitress, the government employee, the surgeon, the receptionist, or wherever your day will take you — there will be opportunity.

You may be talented at helping someone learn something new — then share wisdom with someone today.

You may be talented at remaining calm and consistent rather than being led around by your passions and desires — then be there alongside those who are struggling and hurting.

You may be someone who has been forgiven and who is good at forgiving — then be there alongside those who are overly critical, depressed and anxious.

We don’t have to “fix” others and there is rarely any help in “judging” others either — especially when we don’t know their whole story or situation. But we can serve and love everyone and anyone — with a high probability of positive impact.

Why would we do this — And how can we do this?

Pragmatically speaking, the world is always a better place when people love and care for each other rather than compete and war against each other for power and position. And positive change is not a single hero changing the world, it is a cascading avalanche or wild fire that builds larger and larger from initial small acts that are repeated and amplified.

We decide to turn and take one small step in the right direction. We are intentional and purposeful with our time, our words, our actions, and our resources. We chose to do something that is about others and not ourselves. Then we repeat this again and again as opportunities present themselves — because we are eagerly watching and waiting to see them appear in our day.

We cannot control whether or not they will be seen, appreciated, or inspiring. Our one act may not can a flame that spreads throughout our circle of influence, yet we have still made a difference. Or it may have a widespread impact as it stirs a chain of people to also “pay it forward”, yet we never know or recognize it. Still a difference has been made.

As a Christian, I do not live to be the face of some new movement or to take credit for starting the fire by some act of loving service. I look at the life example and teachings of Jesus Christ about selfless love — I see what He did for me through the cross — and I trust and believe in His resurrection and in His ensuring Kingdom both here in earth and in Heaven — and I follow Him. He not only inspires me through His life example, but He gives me strength to love and serve others through the Holy Spirit.

If you are struggling with the “why” and the “how” of knowing your purpose, seeing the opportunities, believing you can make a difference, or being strong enough to do it on your own — I encourage you to look to Jesus. Look to His promises. Speak with Him today in prayer. If you don’t know how to do this on your own, reach out to me and I will be happy to introduce you to my sweet friend Jesus. God bless you my friends! May your life today bring glory to God, and hope, love, peace and the fruit of blessing to those you encounter! Amen.

‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭AMP‬
[10] Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor].

https://bible.com/bible/1588/1pe.4.10.AMP

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What Have We Done?

We chose to love the prisons we built for ourselves, and mock the ones who told us there was something better.

We chose to squander our future and our children and future generations’ future, in trade for a little bit more pleasure, importance, recognition, popularity, escape, rest, wickedness, or pride.

We laughed at what was truly wise, and thought we were smart for going down the broad way that leads to destruction alongside “everyone else”.

We didn’t just have our blessings stolen by the enemy, we gladly handed them over to the enemy in trade for more poison — time after time again.

We didn’t love each other or help each other, we just mocked, judged, pitied, or avoided people when they didn’t have something we could use or benefit from.

When someone hurt us, we continued the cycle by hurting them a little deeper than they hurt us — so they would maybe target someone else instead.

Every single one of us.

We have all been foolish. We have all made mistakes.

There is a better Way.

“Sin” isn’t just some list of arbitrary do’s and dont’s used to measure ourselves and compare ourselves to others. It is a sickness, a disease that is clearly a part of all our lives that whispers lies, distractions, temptations, and feelings into our minds that are not healthy or beneficial to us and those around us. It is something that we all deal with, and no one will live life without eventually realizing that there are these attractive looking traps in life that come with costly consequences.

My God does not hate you and want to destroy you because you don’t follow His list of arbitrary rules. Those are in fact some of the biggest lies put out there to blind you to who He really is.

My God loves His children. Like a loving Father, He does not want His children to suffer, but He wants them to prosper — not just in this moment, not just as an individual, but as a healthy, fruit bearing family branch that extends generation after generation, decade after decade, century after century.

He knows that you aren’t going to get it right every time. He knows that you are going to make mistakes. He knows that at times things are going to be hard. He even knows that at times you might hate Him and might decide to live as if He doesn’t even exist.

But He loves you.

Even if people that say they know Him say He hates you because you do X, Y or Z — they are just confused by their own sin and projecting their hatred for themselves onto you because they don’t know His love themselves.

And if you’re thinking “don’t I have to give up X, Y, Z for Him to love me” or “why would I want to be like those people that say they know God but are hateful, judgemental, etc.” — hear me when I say that type of “religion” is not The Way.

He loves His children, so talk to Him yourself.

If you’re not sure that you even remember how to get in touch with Him on your own — We can talk to Him together.

I love you and hope you have a wonderful day.

He’s not mad at you, and He’s looking forward to talking with you soon.

If you don’t think you can, ask me about the price He paid, ask me about how He put Himself on display as a testimony of His love for YOU. There’s a hill called Calvary that tells the story of His love. Amen.

You may not even know yet or believe yet that there are things in your life that are killing you, stealing from you, and hurting those around you. Talk with Him and ask Him to give you wisdom and to open your eyes to see things truly as they are. Blessings my friend. Amen.

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Why am I like I am?

I don’t need the spotlight,
’cause I already got light —
so I’ll just play the background,
instead of playing the clown.

It isn’t that I don’t care,
but I don’t need them all to stare.
I know who I am inside,
and that isn’t someone that I need to hide.

So if you let me sing His name,
you’ll find for me it isn’t some game.
And if you find me up in front of a crowd,
preaching hard and singing loud —
it’s a fire and I can’t hold it in,
so grab your seats and invite a friend.

Cause I don’t have to preach you into hell,
most do that on our own pretty well.
I just have to welcome you in,
because He really is a great friend.

I know you’ve seen a lot of bad religion,
of hate and judgement and men who love power —
but do you know mercy and humility and forgiveness
that makes even the proudest men cower?

I love you friend,
and I once shared your doubts —
I’ve looked all over this world
and we all only have one way out.

It won’t be your money or pleasure that you prize at a last breath,
so why prize it now on your way towards your death?

Listen and hear, open up your ears,
lay down your pride, and let your hearts fear —
that this life can be wasted,
this life can fall short.

What will you have at the end of it all?
Have you felt the tug, have you heard the call?

When is your time…

… don’t wait.

Get your heart and your direction right my friend. And help me keep mine right too.

Love you. Thank you Jesus!

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Helping vs Enabling

Helping?
Enabling?

Am I helping someone do something challenging that will improve their situation?
Or letting someone continue to do what they want that is bad for them without facing consequences?

How can I tell the difference between helping vs enabling?

If it is easy and they could do it themselves, they should do it themselves. Teaching others to rely on us for what they could and should be doing for themselves creates an unhealthy dependence, an unbalanced relationship, and a dangerous power dynamic that can easily be abused or taken advantage of.

If we have to tolerate bad behavior — if we must make excuses or help “hide things” for others — if we cannot talk openly and directly about the decisions or actions that brought about the current circumstances — if the person only sees themselves as a victim of circumstances — if the person never genuinely contemplates how their own decisions and actions have contributed to the current circumstances — if the person will not learn from the situation to take responsibility themselves and make changes themselves — if you are doing things for them they could and should do for themselves — WE ARE PROBABLY NOT HELPING THEM.

Having a heart for others who are in need is a good thing, and we should be ready to help others who are truly in need.

When a person’s story focuses on their being a victim of circumstances, when it only focuses on their hurt/pain/ suffering — rather than what they are already doing on their own that is challenging them (identifying their own mistakes, learning what they can do differently themselves, sacrificing and working hard towards improvement that will help them in the future even if it is hard in the moment) — this is a sign of someone who wants to be enabled, rather than someone who wants to HELP THEMSELVES and have a friend or healthy support system ALONGSIDE THEM in THEIR OWN JOURNEY through this CHALLENGE.

Challenges in this life are an opportunity for individuals to learn and grow. The solution to someone else’s challenge IS NOT us inserting ourselves as the fix/solution/hero/savior and not allowing the challenge to be their journey.

Are we willing to listen, encourage, and invest time to help them work through the issue themselves (not being/providing the “quick fix” so that things can “go back to normal” as quickly a possible)?

Truly helping is not usually three quick or easy choice. Enabling is tempting because many times it makes the immediate challenge “go away” more quickly or easier (seemingly for us and for them).

But what if we put in the harder work of actually helping — rather than enabling — and rather than using “I might be enabling” as an excuse for just ignoring them?

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Asking

I see friends in real pain and hurting around me.

And I hear the promise of the Word of God:

John 14:13-17 NKJV

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

So we might ask ourselves a few questions when we have prayed and “asked in His name”, yet we have not seen the “that I will do” part.

I might ask myself things like,

  • “Am I ‘praying’ or ‘asking in His name’ wrongly?”
  • “Am I expecting Him to do it in my own imperfect way or timeline — when His way and His time is better and perfect?”
  • “Is what I’m asking for not going to bring glory to the Father in the Son?”
  • “Am I hindering His prayers on my behalf because I do not love Him and I am not keeping His commandments?”
  • “Have I not been given this spirit of truth that will abide with me forever?”
  • “Is God slow to answer?”
  • “Does God really care about me?”
  • “Does God even exist?”

Those last questions can even feel scary to put down on paper if we have a genuine fear of God — but He knows that these are real questions and doubts that people have in their hearts. So it does us no good to hide them in the shadows.

I wonder how often we are satisfied with rattling these doubts around in our minds but we have been unwilling to bring our petitions to God?

I wonder how often we have been satisfied with taking our requests to God — but not truly speaking the promises in His name, loving Him, eagerly living His commandments, and wrestling with Him over how we might reconcile His promises and what we do not yet see. Yes, this is the life of hope in what is not yet seen — that we walk by faith in what we have seen and already know about Him.

I wonder how many of us have feared a wrestling match with the Almighty, and we have avoided even coming into His courts? Is it because we thought that we might be unwelcome, that we might be unworthy, that we might find an angry God who does not love us but only demands and take from us?

I love how so many encounters between the spiritual and mankind start out with something like “Do not be afraid”.

The door is open. Will we enter into real prayer? Into calling on His Name, into speaking His Word and His promises, into a willingness to wrestle in an active, conversational, confessional, powerful, personal, connected prayer life? Or will we be satisfied with running off to do our own thing with what God has given us like a prodigal — maybe even forgetting to send God a “text and a selfie” type of prayer once in a while just to “check in” — instead of wanting Him involved and engaged as part of our lives?

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Shelter and Rest

There is a shelter where we can find rest, and it isn’t lifting ourselves higher and higher, struggling to climb a ladder. The higher a man thrusts himself up a ladder, or the higher he tries to stand up on the backs of others, the more spectacular his eventual fall will be.

But a man who knows his humble part in something bigger, a man who is grateful for being a part of a vision and purpose that is greater than himself — that is a similar type of rest and protection as what us children find living in the shelter and the shadow of the Lord.

But even great causes, even great callings, and even great opportunities are not the firm foundation or the protection that us children will find in the Almighty. He alone is God, and trusting Him is a shelter and place of safety that cannot be taken away from us.

If you don’t know him,
if you don’t even believe that He is real,
if you have laughed at silly people who talk to their “invisible sky daddy”,
if you have thought that “those brainwashed people” are just following some man-made religion —
I personally invite you to come to Him,
Not an invitation to come to me,
not an invitation to join my church,
Not an invitation to follow me,
Not an invitation to be indoctrinated,
But an invitation to meet Him —
And to decide for yourself whether or not He is good.

Please don’t mishear my invitation,
Even wearing the right outfit,
and getting together on the right days,
and doing the right things,
And saying the right things,
And talking about Him,
And calling yourself by His name,
And doing things in His name,
Is NOT the same thing,
As knowing Him and trusting Him,
And Him knowing you.

So this invitation goes out to the white washed religious zealots (who are dead and rotting inside) just as strongly as to those unaware and whose seed has not yet sprouted.

The invitation is to turn to God. You might not even know yet or believe what He might touch and make better. Or you might be very educated “about” the Lord, but there is no life in your scholarly efforts and you need your life to produce fruit from His source of life, not just from your own efforts. No matter the reason that you need oil for your lamp, you are invited so don’t delay. You don’t have to clean yourself up first, come as you are. He is God and knows even better than us what we need. He is not far away, He is near.