Spiritual Retreat

It is a beautiful day.  The rain has cleared and the sun is shining.  It was a perfect day for my spiritual retreat.  I rode my bike down the Jim Martinez Sunflower Trail.  I have a couple of favorite spots by the Arkansas River where I stop to spend time with God.  I had some great time of seeking God and listening.

Awhile back, during another spiritual retreat day, I asked God what His vision for my life was.  I believe that answer is becoming more and more clear as I have been spending time seeking Him and listening.  As I have been reading through the book of Nehemiah, I sense an urging to become a repairer of the breach that has taken place in families.  This includes leading men to be better spiritual leaders, husbands and fathers, helping people to grow spiritually and teaching them how to pursue God (after all, His Holy Spirit is our “in-house” Counselor!), helping strengthen marriages and families, and by standing in the gap for single parent families.  I’m not so arrogant as to think I’m perfect and can do all of this myself or in my own strength.  In fact, the whole thought of it kind of overwhelms me.  However, I am available for however God wants to use me.

I believe that all of the ministries that I’m responsible for can be aligned under this key vision of building the wall and repairing the breaches that are happening in families.  God is teaching me a lot about leadership, which will be crucial as I lead teams in making this happen.  He is also leading me toward getting more training in couseling.  My heart is wide open to His wisdom and leading.  Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.

May God bless your family!

Nehemiah 5 – Servant Leadership

Matthew 20:25-28: “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Servant leadership is a very important concept for leaders to learn and exemplify.  In fact, it is essential if we want to be more and more like Jesus.  If we want to be the kind of leaders that please and glorify God, we must serve and take care of those we are leading.  In Chapter 5, Nehemiah is shown to be someone who does that well.

It seems that in those days, many were so poverty-stricken that they were having to mortgage their fields and vineyards, were having to borrow money just to pay the king’s taxes, and were even having to sell their children into slavery.  Nehemiah was very angry with what was happening.  To deal with this outcry, he called a large meeting right in the middle of the rebuilding project, which showed the magnitude of the problem and the importance of resolving it.  Nehemiah met the problem head on and didn’t dance around it.  He told the nobles and officials that what they were doing was wrong and to stop it immediately.  He had a plan for them to follow and expected them to do it.  They knew what they were doing was wrong because “they could find nothing to say.”  They pledged to give back what they had taken and to not demand anything else from the people.

These days, we hear a lot about “social justice.”  What we see here was social justice in action.  These people were in the middle of a famine and couldn’t make ends meet.  It wasn’t that they weren’t willing to work.  The government that was supposed to be there to serve was taking so much that the people couldn’t didn’t have enough to live on.

Toward the end of the chapter, we learn that Nehemiah was practicing what he was preaching.  He wasn’t even taking what was “entitled” to him as a governor.  He knew the burden was already heavy on the people, and he didn’t want to take more from them.  He wasn’t in leadership to become rich at the expense of the people.  Rather, he was there to make a difference.  He was there to help others, not pad his own pocketbook.  In fact, he was right there with the people doing the work.  Why?  Out of reverence for God.  He wanted to work as if working for the Lord and not for men.

Nehemiah was in leadership for the right reason – to serve others.  Many get into leadership because they love power and money.  They will eventually go down in flames because that’s not the type of leader that is blessed by God.  God blesses those who are unselfish and who put others first.

May God bless you as you seek to be the kind of leader who serves others for His glory and not your own.

My Shadow

I’ll try to start back with Nehemiah tomorrow.  My brain is too tired for anything profound tonight.  I just had to post about the day my son and I had together.  It was awesome.  I started my day a little later than normal, and didn’t start with Bible study and prayer as usual because I needed to get some meat on the smoker as early as possible so it would be ready for dinner.  So, by the time I sat down to have my time with God, he was up.  Before I knew it, he was coming out the back door with his Bible.  Unfortunately, he was still in his pajamas and barefooted.  I told him to go back in and get dressed and then come join me.  By the time he was dressed he had decided to go get his tractor out instead.  I was kicking myself for not allowing him to come on out.  I’m afraid I missed an opportunity.  Anyway, my heart was so filled with joy to see him coming out with his Bible.

I’ve been trying a new smoker out this weekend to see if I want to buy it.  So, I smoked some brisket for a friend and some beef ribs for us today.  Before I knew it, my son had brought up a little play stove from downstairs and was calling it his smoker and had on his garden gloves to copy my “smoking gloves.”

Basically, he did everything I did today.  In addition to the above, we went to Lowe’s, Ace, and Home Depot (that’s what I call a shopping trip), and I could hardly peel him away from the John Deere lawn tractors!  When we got home, we moved a dresser together.  He got on one end of a drawer and I got on the other.  It took awhile to move a drawer that way, but he thought he was big stuff.   After that, we mowed the yard, and then came in pretty much exhausted and covered in cottonwood pollen.  It looked like I had either sheared some sheep or run over a few hundred Bichon Frise’s in the yard when we were done, and that was with a grasscatcher!!

We topped off the day by eating beef ribs, baked beans, potato salad and then rhubarb crisp with vanilla ice cream.

My little shadow was trying to fall asleep at dinner, so I gave him a bath and sat in the recliner with him.  He was asleep in 5 minutes.    We had a great day.  It’s humbling how much he is trying to be like me.  It is a huge responsibility, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

May God bless you as  you set the example for those little ones around you!

Nehemiah 4 – The Original Braveheart??

It is another beautiful, windless morning in Kansas, and I’m getting spoiled.  Yesterday, I finally put together an outdoor gazebo that we’ve had in the box for 2 1/2 years.  Soon after we bought it, we moved and it has been in the original box in the garage since then.  Since we had a cookout last night, I was motivated to go ahead and put it up.  Originally, we were waiting for the deck to be totally completed, but we decided it would be better on the patio because of the wind protection.  So… now I have a great new place to sit outside and spend time with God without worrying about being carried off by the monster mosquitoes!  By the way (since you’ve heard of my project woes before…), the instructions for the gazebo recommended three adults to put it together.  I put it mostly together by myself, with my kids helping hand me tools and then my wife helping me put the final touches on it so it would be ready for the cookout.  I was pumped.

Okay, on to my favorite chapter of Nehemiah, so far: Chapter 4.  Every man needs to read this chapter.  Actually, I think every man needs to read this book of the Bible.  Have you ever seen the movie Braveheart?  Well, in this chapter, Nehemiah reminds me of William Wallace.  In my vivid imagination, I could just hear him yelling, FREEDOM!!!

It seems that the opposition had become more aware that these people mean business and were going to build this wall.  So, they decided to try to demoralize the builders by telling them that they were just feeble Jews trying to revive a pile of rubble and that their wall wouldn’t even stand up to a fox jumping on it.  In Hans and Franz terms, “You’re just a bunch of girly men playing with your little rocks.  One look at our muscles and your wall will fall down…” Sorry, bad humor.

So, what did Nehemiah do?  You should know the answer to this by now:  HE PRAYED.  In fact, he prayed a pretty salty prayer against the enemy, and then they continued working.  They connected the wall and built it to half it’s height.  That really ticked off the opposition, and they conspired to attack Jerusalem.  By the way, in my experience, this is how spiritual warfare works.  The devil tries to demoralize, and when that doesn’t work, he brings out the big guns.  That’s why we must abide in Christ, where the Holy Spirit will arm us with the “full armor of God” so we can stand against the devil’s schemes.  As leaders, we must be in prayer against the enemy.

Again, they prayed, and this time set up a guard.  The enemy stepped it up a notch and planned a sneak attack to kill them and stop the work.  However, some Jews living nearby went and told Nehemiah, and thus God frustrated their plan.  Nehemiah developed a plan of defense, and it no doubt, it was a plan centered around prayer and around God going ahead of them.  However, there were also weapons involved: swords, spears, and bows. Can’t you just sense the testosterone levels hitting the roof!?

Then, Nehemiah saw the fear of his people, and gave them a rally cry:  “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”  If that doesn’t bring out the warrior heart, then you are a GIRLY MAN!  Just the thought of it makes my heart race.  Men are created to be protectors, and Nehemiah knows this.  As Emerson Eggrichs says, “It is no small thing that a man is willing to die to protect his family.”  Men have been so demoralized in our society, and many have been rendered ineffective.  All we see on tv is the bumbling idiots.  We need to see more men like Nehemiah and William Wallace, men who were willing to fight for a noble cause.  We need men who will build the walls of protection around their families, and, at all cost, fight for them.  We need men who will see the breaches in the walls of other families around them, and help stand in the gap.  We need godly men of prayer and of honor to step up and defend families against the enemy who is besieging the walls as we speak.

Okay, back to the story…  So, even under the threat of attack, they kept working.  However, this time, they were working with their weapons close at hand.  The builders wore their swords girded at their sides as they built.  Nehemiah had a plan where a trumpeter would sound the alarm if there was an attack so all could rally to where the trumpet sounded.  The trumpeter would be right with Nehemiah, which meant Nehemiah was going to be right in the thick of the action.  However, he also said, “Our God will fight for us.”  He knew who the battle belonged to.

I love the last verse:  “So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.”  Nehemiah was not asking  his men to do more than he was willing to do himself.  As their leader, he wasn’t barking orders from afar; he was right there with them ready to die if necessary.  I don’t know about you, but I want to be this kind of spiritual leader.

May God go ahead of you and fight the battles for you as you abide in Him!

Nehemiah 3 – The Power of Teamwork

I am enjoying a beautiful morning on the  patio.  I love spending time with God outdoors.  It just does my heart good.  I’ve seen sparrows, orioles, robins, chickadees, a woodpecker, a bluejay, a cardinal, and lots of squirrels.  This is the time of year I enjoy having lots of trees.  When fall comes, though, that’s a different story.

Well, in Nehemiah 3, the construction on the wall begins.  I love it that it starts with the priests.  As the spiritual leaders, they are the ones who are poised to set the example.   They rebuilt the Sheep Gate, where the sheep are washed before being brought to the temple for sacrifice, and they consecrated it.  They also consecrated the walls.  It was the firstfruits of their labor and was dedicated to God.

Then, as we go down the line, we see differing levels of involvement.  Some wouldn’t work while others worked with zeal.  Many were working in an area where they had a vested interest (close to their home or area of work).  It seems like some took multiple assignments.  This was a very diverse group of people who came together for one purpose: to rebuild the wall.  Each may have had different motives for being involved, but it was apparent that no one could do it alone.

I have no doubt that Nehemiah had incredible leadership skills to bring all these people together under one common purpose and vision.  He didn’t try to be some kind of her0 and do the work himself.  He must have cast a compelling vision with a good plan that included clear expectations.  I believe we can take this principle and use it in the church or our places of business.  People will rally around a vision if it is worthy and they can see their part in it.  Everyone has different gifts and talents and they would like to be able to use them if they can see where they could make a difference.  A good leader can cast such a vision.

It is so amazing when people come together and work toward a common goal.  Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.”  When two are working together, it’s amazing how they can get more work done that if they had each worked separately doing the same thing.  When many come together, watch out.  The results will be phenomenal.  Believe me, this is an area where I need a lot of work.  For too long, I’ve had a hard time asking for help and have had the “I’ll just do it myself attitude.”  Like I’ve said, I’m learning a lot and look forward to applying it.

AND, as we will learn next time, men will fight for their cause if they believe in it and have a vested interest.  Stay tuned for tomorrow when Nehemiah shows his “William Wallace” side!

I’m sure I could write much more about the power of teamwork, but I have lots to do to help get ready for a cookout here at the house tonight.  I’m really looking forward to having the families from our Wings of Love ministry over tonight.  We may even have a campfire and roast some marshmallows. Hey, maybe I can teach my kids the value of teamwork by casting a vision and getting them to help us get ready for tonight…

May God bless you as you work together, doing the work He has called you to do!

Nehemiah 2 – God at Work

In continuing my study of Nehemiah, I just want to share briefly what I learned in Chapter 2.

After praying and fasting for 3-4 months, Nehemiah could no longer hide his sadness (burden) from the king.  This could have cost him his life because everyone was supposed to be cheerful in the presence of the king.  However, the king noted that this was sadness of the heart and asked Nehemiah what was wrong.  In fear, Nehemiah stated the problem, and the king responded with the question, “What is it you want?”

At that point, I’m guessing Nehemiah’s heart skipped a few beats.  All of his prayer, fasting, and mental planning and preparing had come down to this moment.  What does he do?  He sends up a flare prayer (you know… one of those, “Oh, Lord be with me” kind of prayers when you’re right in the middle of a situation) and then answers the king.  He had already been praying about it, and obviously he had a plan in his mind prepared for the day the door opened.  So, he told the king exactly what he wanted to do, and not only did the king give him the ”time off”, he made sure he would have safe passage along the way and building materials once he got there.  Then, Nehemiah gave God the credit in the last part of vs. 8: “And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”

Once in Jerusalem, Nehemiah and a few men went by night to inspect the damages.  As a true leader, he didn’t just send someone else to do it, he made the assessment himself.  With a job of this magnitude, he couldn’t rely on second-hand information.  He had to see the damage himself.

Then, he cast the vision to the people of Jerusalem by saying, ”You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.  Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”  He presented a problem that was affecting them, then a solution, and lastly told them about the benefit it would be to them to have the problem solved.  Then, he backed it up by telling them all that God had already been doing to lead them to this point (giving a little history for those who were clueless how he had come to the point of knowing this was what God wanted them to do).  In the true spirit of Henry Blackaby’s book, Experiencing God, they saw what God was doing and they joined Him in His work because at the end of vs. 18, they said, “Let us start rebuilding.”  And so they did.

At the end of Chapter 2, I love how Nehemiah answers the opposition, those who were ridiculing and mocking them: “The God of heaven will give us success.  We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”  He knew what God wanted him to do, and he was not swayed by their words.  That’s what happens when we stay close to God  – we know beyond a shadow of a doubt what He wants us to do and we won’t let anything stop us. 

Do we want to know God’s will?  It comes from first knowing God and abiding in Him.  As we are spending time with Him and / or doing His work, He will often lay something on our hearts.  The first reaction is to begin to act on it.  However, if we really want supernatural results, we better spend some time praying and waiting for God’s timing.  During this praying and waiting time, a vision will probably begin to form in our minds and we’ll probably write down what God is teaching us.  Then, when the time is right, He will make things happen beyond our wildest imaginations, and we’ll know it’s from Him because there is no way we could pull off “something like that.”  We’ll cast the vision, share what God has been doing, and people will get onboard!  And through it all, we’ll be in total awe, giving God all the glory.

Like I said yesterday, I’m in the praying mode regarding several things on my heart, including our ministry to single parent families, but not limited to it.  Waiting is not easy, but it is worth it.  I don’t want to step out ahead of God, like I’ve done before.

May you abide in God and build intimacy with Him first and foremost!

Thirty-seven

Something hit me on May 2 when I turned 37.  It’s not usually a number that one would focus on.  It’s not one of the so-called “milestone” years.  However, something deep inside me says that 37  is going to be a significant year.  God has already been teaching me a great deal.  He has reminded me in gentle but firm ways that I need to be pursuing intimacy with Him first and foremost.  I have missed very few early morning hours with God over the past several years.  However, my journaling while spending time with God has dwindled to a few times a week.  Without my journal right there with me, my mind tends to wander, I tend to forget things that I really need to be praying about, and I don’t listen nearly as well.  In addition, I don’t have a way of going back to review what God has been teaching me.  When I use the journaling method that Dean Trune taught me, I am able to stay focused and my time with God is much richer and more meaningful.  Now, please don’t get me wrong.  I know I can pursue God and spend time with him any time of the day, no matter where I am, and whether I journal or not.  However, in order for me to really be focused and listening, I need to spend early morning, uninterrupted time with Him, and have my journal right there with me.  So far, I have journaled all 20 days of my 37th year, and I’m excited about what God is doing in my heart.

It is also helping that I’m going to bed earlier, so I can get up closer to 5:00 and have some time of exercise, too.  I feel so much more energetic when I have my time with God and some good exercise.  This morning, after my quiet time, I spent 15 minutes on the treadmill while watching a John Maxwell leadership video.  I have to do something while treadmilling or I can’t hardly stand it.   Today is the last day of school, so I can get part of my exercise by riding my bike to the office at least a few times a week.  So far, with the exception of the day I found water coming into our basement, I have stayed on course with my exercise plan since turning 37.  That’s huge for me.

Another thing that will make this a significant year is the fact that God is really teaching me some leadership skills right now.  Much of it is coming straight from the book of Nehemiah.  I’m planning to focus on a chapter of Nehemiah each day for the next thirteen days.  I’ll try to share what God is teaching me.  Today, I’ll talk about Chapter 1.

I am so impressed with what an incredible leader Nehemiah was!  I don’t know why I haven’t focused on him before.  He learns of a need that burdens his heart to the point of weeping.  Instead of going out on his own power to find a solution, he spends three or four months in prayer and fasting to God.  Take note:  prayer was his first action, not his last resort.  Oh, what power we would see as leaders if we would learn this.  His recorded prayer is so meaningful and powerful, complete with worship, confession (his sins and those of Israel), and petition, and it came straight from his heart.  One of my favorite parts is where he says “O Lord, let your ears be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.”  What would it look like for us to come together in prayer because we delight in revering God’s name?  Wow!

Another thing that has been brought to my attention is the fact that Nehemiah was very close to the king.  In fact, according to Dr. Howard Hendricks, a Bible professor specializing in Christian leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary, the cupbearer was second-in-command, kind of like the Prime Minister.  He was the only one who had direct access to the king and his own expense account.  In other words, he was living the good life in the palace.  In the world’s eyes, it would have been so easy to ignore the need in Jerusalem in order to continue living in comfort, but servant-leaders don’t do that.  Servant leaders seek God and put the needs of others before their own.

When I read and study the Bible, I always ask the question:  What is God teaching me through this?  How can this be applied in my life?  Well, I, too, have had a burden placed on my heart by God.  It’s not a physical wall that is broken down, but can be compared to that.  It’s the state of marriage and family.  I think the state of many marriages and families are much like the state of Jerusalem:  “in great trouble and disgrace because the walls are broken down and the gates have been burned with fire.”  Success rises and falls on the leadership, and that includes leadership in the family.  I believe that we, as men, are supposed to be spiritual leaders in the home.  We are supposed to be the gatekeepers, providing protection and security by staying close to God.  This includes praying for our families and fighting the spiritual battles through prayer and God’s Word.  I’m not saying that women can’t do this because they can and are usually very capable, but it should be done in addition to what their husbands are doing.  Too often, women find themselves as the spiritual leader because their husbands don’t step up.  I really believe it’s because they aren’t equipped.  Often, without the spiritual leadership of the husband, marriages fall apart, and families find themselves in a place of insecurity because the protective walls are broken down. 

As most of you know, I have a heart for ministry to single parent families.   I have a real burden for helping rebuild the walls, and standing in the gap that has been left most often by the father.  At the same time, I have a heart for counseling families and helping men become better leaders in their homes.  In these ways, maybe we can repair the walls before they disintegrate.  I want to continue to develop my skills in these areas.  My animal science degrees did not prepare me for this, although my mentor in college taught me skills that went far beyond the degree.  Through Nehemiah’s example, I plan to take time this summer in prayer and fasting for God to give me a vision for how best to do this.  I’m afraid I have tried for too long to do this in my own power and without the proper leadership skills being developed.  I’m finally on track. 

This will also be a good preparation for my first overseas mission trip to Thailand to minister to Karen refugees, including a village of mostly single moms and widows.  Yep, 37 is going to be a significant year in the Lord!

For you single moms who read my blog, remember:  Even though the walls may be knocked down, and  you may feel discouraged at times, take courage in Psalm 68:5 – “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.”  The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is your protector and shield.

May God bless you as you spend time seeking Him and His vision for you!

Time of Growth

I’ve been trying to write for a couple of weeks now, and just can’t seem to get anything worthwhile to come out.  I seem to have writer’s block.  Sometimes I think if I’ll just start writing it will begin to flow, but that hasn’t happened yet.  So, here goes another try… 

Since I last wrote, I’ve started a new fitness routine with the encouragement from my coach / mentor.  I really do feel better when I exercise.  I’m starting off pretty slow and building up.  When school started, I quit riding my bike to work, and I got out of shape pretty quickly.  A friend gave me a treadmill, but I haven’t been as consistent as I want to be.  Now, I am keeping a plan on paper, so I don’t have to decide what I will be doing that morning when I get up.  That helps to keep me on track.  I’m having to get up earlier so I can still have my time with God and get in my exercising before I start the rest of my day, but it’s worth it.

On the days that I do the treadmill, I am listening to John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.  Not only does it help the time go by more quickly while I’m exercising, I’m learning some great stuff to help me be a better leader.  My eyes have been opened to the fact that I’m really lacking as a leader, so I’m taking steps to strenghthen that area of my life.

My eyes have also been opened to the fact that I need to be seeking God more.  I recently took part in a 24 hour prayer vigil that we had here at the church on the National Day of Prayer.  That was a very powerful time of refocusing my heart on pursuing intimacy with God.  That is the key to fruitful ministry, not the other way around.  We don’t pursue ministry in order to get closer to God.  We pursue God, and then He makes our ministry fruitful.  I was reminded of John 15 and that I need to abide in Him and He in me.  I cannot be fruitful apart from Him for apart from God, I am nothing.  I have discovered that I’ve been so intent on seeking God’s will that I’m missing out on seeking God, Himself.  From experience, I can tell you that when I am seeking God, His will becomes very clear.  I don’t have to guess or wonder.  He’s not out to try to trick me or make me guess.  He will lead me when I abide in Him.  When I’m abiding in Him, I’m readily available and my heart is in the right place to step out in faith and obey.

Anyway, I’m in a serious growth mode, and the enemy doesn’t like it.  That’s probably one reason I’ve had a hard time writing.  Here’s to putting on the full armor of God so we can take a stand firm against the enemy’s schemes.

May God bless you as you abide in Him and pursue intimacy with Him!