The Adoration Challenge

We had a good prayer gathering last night. We focused on our church, the needs of the country, and of our congregation. I came away extremely challenged to work harder at adoration in my prayers. Adoration flows from our heart like the words of a poet writing a sonnet. It is a natural effusion of the love we feel for God. It is entirely relational, intimate, and genuine.

Here is a wonderful example from Psalm 89 from The Message (a translation that seems to super-size adoration whenever it gets a chance), "God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you'll find nothing and no one quite like God. The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God-of-the-Angel-Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly. You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand, you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist. You own the cosmos—you made everything in it, everything from atom to archangel. You positioned the North and South Poles; the mountains Tabor and Hermon sing duets to you."

Those writing in Psalms or other passages of adoration were artistically adept. They worked at describing their feelings for God like a master chef searched for the perfect ingredients for a gourmet meal. I was challenged to do more to creatively to express my love, awe, and wonder of God.

Maybe you feel incapable of expressing your love adequately. Here are some ideas if you feel adorationally challenged. 1. Read a Psalm to the Lord as if it were your words to him. 2. Sing. Unlike singing to a lover, ability is not required. Just be genuine and, "Sing of his love forever." 3. Do something loving for someone else out of your love for God. Bless someone like God has blessed you. Give a special love offering. But do it all to show your love for God. Let's take the adoration challenge!

New Commercial

Check out the new commercial about The Crossing playing at the Hamilton Mill movie theatre before each movie. It could only be 15 seconds long. You can see it on the front page of our website (link below). Our thanks to C.Y. Smith, Brad Burks, and Chad Aukland for putting this together.

link

The Fun and Pain of Sacrificial Investment

Yesterday was a good case study on spiritual preparation. God was moving in our church. But so was the devil. There were technical issues, things were forgotten, people were late, our guest worship leader, Christopher Heidler spent Saturday at the hospital as his son broke his arm. There were probably some other things I don't even know about; I even think some of our people came to church just frustrated for maybe no apparent reason. I believe the enemy was at work.

But so was God. In spite of technical issues and a long Saturday, Christopher and the band were used big time by the Lord! I felt the presence of God all over me as I spoke. And there were at least two people who worked through major spiritual issues at the end of the service. And a family came because of the Breakfast on the Porch in Janine and Glenn Riches' neighborhood.

I believe good things happened because of the investment in prayer and fasting. This week two college students in our church told me they were going to join me in fasting for a breakthrough at our church...college students! I also believe 'bad things' happened because of the investment in prayer and fasting. All those problems Sunday came from somewhere. The enemy gets more active when he sees people praying and fasting. As long as we are operating in our strength, evil can relax. But when people begin to pray and fast, the devil knows God will get involved and he must also. And when we add bringing people to church with prayer and fasting, Hell gets really nervous.

The result is spiritual warfare at The Crossing and that leaves us with two options. Quit praying and fasting and just have church. (Man does that sound disgusting.) Or have more people join us in prayer and fasting for a breakthrough at The Crossing. (Man does that sound fun!) Besides, you don't want to be in a war zone and not be ready for battle.

When God works it forces you off the rail of just being a worker or a watcher to being a warrior: you have to be armed for the war and engaged in the battle or you will get taken out by it. Everyone, especially those in any ministry role, must come to church or to their ministry having prayed for that service or ministry. The Crossing is becoming a war zone and two worlds, the Kingdom of God and the forces of Satan, are colliding. The sacrificial investment of praying, fasting, inviting others, giving, and working hard on your ministry are the only weapons that win on the battlefield.

And we will win...something about the gates of Hell not prevailing against the church comes to mind. It may hurt but man is it fun!

If you have any ministry role at The Crossing, especially on Sundays I want to ask you to join my Partners in Fasting. Invite people to come, prepare the way through prayer and fasting. And let's have some real fun! Don't miss the prayer meeting at the home of Karl and Lisa Alspach tomorrow night. Contact me at rd@atthecrossing.org for directions.

Dead Ends or Living Beginnings- Exodus 3

For Moses, Midian had to seem like one. You may feel like you are in one...in your work, marriage, ministry, etc. Its a dead end. You have no place to go. You can turn back or just sit here and do nothing. For Christ followers, neither is an option. Jesus' last words were "Go". But many people feel stuck in a dead end in some area of their lives...what can they do?

Moses did three keeps: keep doing, keep looking, keep learning. First, unless you know it is wrong, keep doing what you know to do. Moses kept tending his father-in-law's sheep. That is what he had been doing. While doing so, he found a burning bush in the middle of his dead end. Keep doing.

Second, keep looking. Moses "saw" the burning bush. He literally kept his head up. His dead end had not permanently pushed his eyes to the ground in despair. To maintain a continual state of despair is somewhat atheistic...it says there is no God. Keep looking.

Last, keep learning. This difficult place is a learning place. There is something God wants you to know or get in this dead end that could not be acquired any other way. Ask what you are to learn in this dead end. Moses' ability to lead God's people out of slavery began in Midian. How could something begin in a dead end?

Keep doing, looking, and learning...that is how dead ends become living beginnings.

Holy Ground and Holiness

The, "Moses take off your sandals, you are standing on holy ground," passage in Exodus 3 is quite confusing to many. God is not telling Moses his sandals are dirty, remove them because I am holy; Moses' feet were just as dirty as his sandals. God's call to Moses is about relationship and submission.

Why do we keep our shoes on? Pride, to cover the imperfections of our feet. (God says, give me your imperfections.) Safety, to protect our feet from harm. (God says, why do you need protection from me?) Distance, when we don't feel accepted as we are. (God says, I accept you as you are.) Our plan, because we have somewhere to go. (God says, your plan does not compare to mine.)

None of these were acceptable if Moses was going to connect with God. Nor are they for us. In fact they are the enemy of our personal holiness. As long as pride, a preference for safety over submission, a willingness to keep distance between us and God, and any idea that we actually have a plan other than God's is a part of our lives we can never attain the closeness to God that actually creates holiness in each of us. There can never be holiness in us until there is closeness to God. Take off your shoes, immerse your bare feet in the holy ground of closeness to God, and feel God's holiness become your own. It won't come any other way.

The Upside of Down Times

Times are tough. People are losing jobs. Worry and fear abound. What should we do? Amazingly...celebrate!

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-4

Undoubtedly, this passage is a head-scratcher if you are hurting right now. But as my old pastor friend used to say, "It's in the Book for some reason...I guess 'cause it's true." The Bible is written from the perspective of One who knows how your situation is going to end. The Bible looks at life like I do a DVR of my team when I know they have already won. I can relax because I have no fear of losing.

In tough times we all may live without something. We may face difficult transitions. We may be pushed to our limits. But we will not lose. In fact, we win according to James 1 and a bunch of other passages. There is an upside to down times.

Here are a few upsides: 1. Your real Christian life shows up in tough times. If it is good then you will have greater influence and be admired by others. If it is bad you will be able to see what needs improvement with a clarity you could never have in good times. Understanding yourself more clearly is worth a lot. Coach Woody Hayes said (I will give you the G-rated version), "Nothing cleanses your soul like getting the crap kicked out of you!" Cleansing our souls, getting rid of false notions is a liberating by-product of tough times.

2. Your real friends turn up in tough times. In the good times friends benefit from your blessings. But when you have needs you see who is with you only because of you. A friend who loves us unconditionally in the tough times is truly a gift from God.

3. The really valuable things in life light up in tough times. As the things we thought were important fade, the really valuable things light up. In some recent challenges, my sons have been a great source of wisdom and encouragement to me. They are really valuable in my life and have become more visible in difficulty. There are so many things we focus on but really only a few matter and in the toughest times the most valuable things--faith, family, friends--light up.

Things may be down right now, but you don't have to be!

Devotional Thoughts- Psalm 37 "Follower's Remorse"

I have been very blessed of late as I have studied Psalms. The thing I like best is the honesty. No matter how he was feeling, David told God about it, even if it was critical of God. I mean it's not like God doesn't know anyway right? I guess David said it because it helped David to release the problem to God.

One of the problems with which David dealt, was the apparent success of those who were not following God. What made it worse were the challenges he was facing in spite of his faith...why should he suffer for God when those who did not live for God were succeeding?

The Bible is so relevant to the things we face. I think some people feel this way more than they would admit. "Why should I pay my tithe when my neighbor gets a new car when he doesn't pay his?" "Why should I share my faith at work when those who could care less about God get promoted while I stay at the same level?" Are you having Follower's Remorse? Are you living for God but feeling your blessings do not equal the challenges of living for God? Could it be that those who do not live for God are making it even worse for you? David in Psalm 37, gives 10 steps for those who may be struggling with Follower's Remorse and those who seem to succeed without living for God.

1. Don't focus on them...they will fall.
2. Find security in God...they have none.
3. Keep company with God...He will make you feel good.
4. Tell God how you feel...they have no one to turn to.
5. Quiet down before God...don't worry about others.
6. Control your anger...God will deal with them.
7. Don't worry about their threats...God isn't.
8. Be morally strong...it overcomes every other strength.
9. God is watching you...in bad times, you'll be fine.
10. Don't worry about those who have become your enemies for no reason...they have made themselves God's enemies.

Live with the end in mind. These people are not home yet...when we get home, we win!