Fear Not!

We are in the middle of another great VBS.  This year, we are doing Crocodile Dock.  The theme for last night came from Exodus 3:12.  When one of the leaders would say, “God is with us,” the kids were supposed to yell FEAR NOT!  I think we as adults can learn a lot from this, too.  If God is with us, we truly have nothing to fear.  Moses tried to come up with excuse after excuse and then finally tried to say, “Lord, send someone else.”  It is common for us to look at the mistakes of those in the Bible and be judgmental, but how often do we do the same thing?  We often don’t step out and try anything new or risky or uncomfortable because “what if….. you fill in the blank.”  If we are going to teach our kids that God is with us and we have nothing to fear, we better be ready to live it out ourselves.

Now, I’m not saying jump out and do something stupid…  I’m saying, we need to listen to God, and when He calls be ready to answer “Yes, Lord!”

God is teaching me a lot from the book of Exodus right now.  As time allows, I’ll try to share some of those things.

May God bless you as you trust in Him!

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.

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!

Being Intentional – An Illustration from My Life

Those who know me would say that I think way too much, and I would tend to agree with that. My wheels are constantly rolling. In fact, in any movie I watch, I’m trying to find out what the lesson is that I need to learn. Yes, that includes kid’s movies, and yes, I know there is probably medication for my condition…

So, I was thinking about my blog entry from yesterday and about the question that I asked God regarding how to be intentional. This illustration / story from my life came to me, and I want to pass it along.

I went to college with the vision of becoming a veterinarian. So, I chose the degree plan for pre-vet majors. It was pretty well lined out for me, and I knew what I needed to do to make it happen. It was like having a road map. After my first year, I decided to change my major to animal science (emphasis in meat science). The degree plans were similar enough that I didn’t lose any hours since I wasn’t that far into the process. My advisor (who became my mentor and very good friend) helped me to plan the next three years accordingly. We had to make sure that I took classes in the proper order and also planned according to when the classes were offered. Not rocket science, but very necessary to my success. After that, I decided to stay around and get my Masters Degree. Same thing – there was a plan that I needed to follow.

After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, all of the requirements were fulfilled, and I walked away from college with my B.S. in Animal Science and my M.Ag. in Animal Science, both with an emphasis in meat science. I had a job secured in El Paso, TX before I actually graduated. Life seemed to be continuing down a path to success.

Then, reality hit. I was part of a research and development department that had no real direction. We lived day to day, doing any project for any customer that came along hoping something would sell. I worked for a very difficult boss, and was thrown in without much training for that particular job. I guess they assumed my degree meant that I knew everything… I struggled for about 14 months trying to find direction.

I was transferred to Kansas to a position where I was more of a facility manager for a research and development pilot plant. I learned a lot from that position, but definitely wasn’t using my degree. Within a year, I moved back into product development. I was still at the same facility that I was transfered to, but had a similar situation that I experienced in El Paso. We were still doing any project for any customer that came along, no matter what the volume potential was or if it even seemed feasible in real life. That eventually changed as the company grew and the vision seemed to be clearer.

However, my wife and I began our ministry to single parent families at our church, and I soon sensed the call to ministry. I felt like I finally knew my purpose. I was seeking God’s direction in a mighty way. Although most people were encouraging me to pursue it, a few people tried to discourage me from going that direction because “there was no money in it.” I read a quote by Ron Bell the other day that fits well: “They said I’d never make any money, but I told them I had something better than money – a mission.”

I found myself thinking about ministry all the time. I no longer wanted to climb the corporate ladder. I finally got to the point where the company could have had the greatest vision in the world, but my heart wasn’t in it because I wanted to be in ministry so bad. I didn’t know how or when, but I knew God wanted me to be in full time ministry. I was spending some awesome times with God and was reading all kinds of books. I felt like I had a great vision, especially for single parent family ministry. Then, God gave me the opportunity to be in ministry (this is, of course, the short version).

Then, reality hit again. My goal had been reached. Now what?? My job description was pretty diverse, especially for a guy with no formal ministry training. I began to jump into everything I could. I was working long hours and was just doing, doing, doing… I was not leading well. I was just trying to do everything myself. I was so eager, and I think I was trying to prove myself.

As God would have it, our Senior Minister has done a good job over the past year and a half of helping me to recognize this. He has done a great job of developing a vision and mission statement for our church, and has encouraged me to find my gifts and lead in those areas I best fit. I’ve also been encouraged to build some skills sets that I need to do my job well. I am really enjoying where I am in ministry right now, and am especially excited about how God will answer those questions I shared with you yesterday.

As I focus on being intentional, I believe I will eventually have a road map (much like the degree plan) that will detail out a vision for my personal growth, for my family, and for each of the ministries God has entrusted to me. In order to see this through, I must abide in Christ. Apart from Him I am nothing!

May God bless you as you seek His direction for your life!

Heart of a Warrior

The other night, I laid down with my three-year old son to read him a couple of tractor books, tell him a few “dad-made” stories that included him, a “giant”, and a few of his friends, and to just have our time together before he drifted into dreamland.  Well, he was wound up tight that night and had a hard time going to sleep.  He commenced to tell me about his day.  I swelled with pride as he told me how he had kept one of his sisters “safe” from the neighborhood boys.  There were a couple of boys visiting their grandparents for Spring Break.  Let’s just say that I had to tell my kids that they can’t play with these boys.  They have filthy mouths and attitudes that I don’t want my kids to pick up on.  Anyway, it was cool to see the “warrior spirit” come out in my son.  God has engrained it into men to be providers and protectors, and it was being manifested in my three year old son, as he talked about keeping his sister safe.

Yesterday morning in chapel I talked to the kids about Benaiah, who was in charge of King David’s bodyguard.  He is described as being a man who killed a couple of Moab’s best men (the NKJV describes them as being “lion-like” heroes), killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day, and killed an impressive Egyptian soldier with the soldier’s own spear.  We are told that he had a name as well as the three mighty men of David and was honored among the thirty.  For David to have him in charge of his own bodyguard, he must have been one tough dude AND trustworthy.  David must have had the utmost trust for him because there weren’t too many who were as close to the king on a daily basis as his bodyguard.  Later, we see that David trusted him not only with his own life, but also that of his son, Solomon.  Benaiah did not take that lightly, and honored his commitment.  He was rewarded for his faithfulness and trustworthiness by later being put in charge of the army.

As I have learned from guys like John Eldredge, Robert Lewis and Emerson Eggerichs, God created us to provide and protect.  Actually, they just put words to what I already knew deep inside me.  We will die for our families, no questions asked.  We will work long hours and even multiple jobs to make sure our families are cared for.  It’s who we are.  As I read stories like this one about Benaiah or as I watch movies like Braveheart, something stirs inside me.  Something in me wants to be a part of a bigger, more adventurous story.   God created us to be strong, courageous, and trustworthy, and that is what America needs right now.  That is what the world needs right now.  We don’t need soft men who are selfish, and who waver, but men of integrity and true grit who are willing to do what it takes.

This country was built on faith, hardwork, sacrifice, and just plain ol’ John Wayne-style grit.  There was a time when  the country and the government were formed through personal sacrifice.  In fact, many gave their whole life savings and died broke in order to build America.  Now, we are heading down the slippery slope of entitlement, laziness, and greed.  Just like a caged lion, if we aren’t careful, we will lose our will and incentive to fight and work for everything because it is handed to us.  We will lose the warrior heart, and will begin to take handouts (aka welfare and government bailouts).  No longer will sacrifice be part of our vocabulary.  At that point, we will lose our identity.

Courageous, trustworthy and wise men seek God wholeheartedly.  I think of men like Joshua and King David who sought God and found their strength and wisdom in Him.  I’ll leave you with these two passages:

Exodus 15:2-3 (NASB) – “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him.  The Lord is a warrior; The Lord is His name.”

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NASB) – “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

We need God’s healing for our land.  Our government is not the answer, Wall Street is not the answer.  The answer still lies, as it always has, in the strength of our God.  When Jesus returns, will He find us faithful and trustworthy?

May we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways today!!

Stay the Course

I had a very interesting experience as a substitute teacher last Friday.  I took the assignment of going to the juvenile detention facility.  Contrary to what you might think, it was one of the easiest days I’ve had yet as a substitute.  I was there along with two other teachers, and we had twelve students.  In addition, there were three guards with us to make sure nothing happened.  With it being a Friday, the students wanted to be on their best behavior so they would have weekend privileges.  In many ways, it was much easier than being in the regular classroom.

I couldn’t help but wander about their stories.  Why were they there?  What was their home-life like?  Do they have dads in their lives who care?  How can I help?  My heart was breaking for them. 

One of the guys told me that between 5 and 10% of the youth who came there listed the father as “unknown.”  He also told me that well over half of them came from single parent families.  I’m guessing that 90% or more of them don’t have a good relationship with their dads, no matter if they are from a single parent or two parent home.  I felt like I was witnessing another consequence of fatherlessness in a very up-close way.  I really believe that most of them would turn things around if they had a good mentor, a father figure… at least someone in their life who cared.

Now, let’s spin the globe to the other side.  This morning, four of us met to talk about the trip to Thailand in October.  I learned more information about the village of Tee Po Kwah.  This is the village I spoke of awhile back that consists mostly of single parent families and widows.  I had assumed that the men were dying at the hands of the Burmese army, couldn’t get out of Burma to be with their families, or were trying to find work somewhere.  Unfortunately, much to my dismay, I learned that a great many of them had abandoned their families to find new wives and had succumbed to many of the same temptations that the men of America have.  It is a grim reminder that fatherlessness is a universal problem.  

I feel like God has placed me here for such a time as this.  I want to be used by God to stand in the gap and help hurting families, and to be on the frontlines of the battle against fatherlessness.  I often marvel at how He has brought me from a career as a meat scientist to being a minister and has giving me my heart’s desire of showing Christ’s love to people.  I have the greatest job on earth, as far as I’m concerned.  I get to carry out my life mission of ministering to single parent families locally, and it looks like I will get the chance to do this in Thailand in October, as well.  At the same time, I have opportunities to help strengthen marriages and minister to men, so maybe there will be fewer single parent families.  Not to mention, I have been given the privilege of leading and helping lead other ministries, such as the Small Group, Outreach and Shepherding ministries.  I pretty much get to minister to people of all ages at one time or another in the church and in the community.

If that wasn’t great enough, God has allowed me a unique way to minister to my own children, as well.  I get to teach chapel two days a week at the school where my daughters attend.  I can walk downstairs three days a week and have lunch with them, and I even get to substitute teach in their classes from time to time.  I know each of their teachers and see them daily when school is in session.  While we often have a busy schedule, I’m still home more than I was when I worked in the meat industry, and I’m at least home most evenings to help put them to bed.  This is so important to me because if I don’t father my own children and take care of my family well, everything else will be for nothing.   

Now, I say all this only to add this:  I’m thrilled where God has me, but I don’t want to just settle here.  I want to continue to grow.  I want to get more education in counseling so I can minister to people more effectively.  I need more ammunition for the battle, and I’m seeking God’s wisdom and guidance in how to do this.

Yesterday morning, in my time with God, this phrase came to my mind, “Moving from rhetoric to reality requires resolve.”  I don’t think I’ve ever heard this phrase before, but it sounds too complex to actually have come from me, so I’ll just give credit to God.  We need to get past fancy and glittery words and move toward actions.  It’s easy to say we will do something, but it takes resolve to make it happen.  We must be purposeful and intentional, and remember it won’t happen overnight.  Of course, it won’t happen at all, if we don’t come up with a game-plan and stick with it.  Just like with my Ten Key Moves.  If I write them down and don’t act on them, they will go down as more useless rhetoric.  Rhetoric doesn’t change lives and make a difference, action does.  With so much to do, I often get distracted from staying the course.  It seems like good things keep popping up that I allow to keep me from the best things.  That’s why it’s so important to put God first and listen to Him constantly.  When the children of Israel listened to God and obeyed, amazing things happened.  When they didn’t, disaster occurred.  I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best, not what I think is the best.  Let’s stay the course…

May God give us all the resolve to stick with the gameplan He has given us!

Friends in Need

I want to take the opportunity to use my blog to help a couple of friends. 

My wife and I have been friends with Elsa Kok Colopy for several years now.   We first met her while attending a national conference for leaders in single parent family ministry.  She taught some of the break-out sessions, and is incredibly inspirational.  She speaks from the heart, and has such an incredible love for God.  Talk about contagious Christianity – she has it!!    We grew to love her more and more as we would see each other at the yearly conferences.  We have had her speak at our church, as well.  Although it has been awhile since they’ve had one of those conferences, we still stay in contact.  Recently, I’ve learned that her stepson, Sean, is in need of a kidney transplant, and his dad will be the donor.  They are trying to raise funds to make it happen.  Please go to Elsa’s website for more information:  www.elsakokcolopy.com and click on the tab labeled “Sean’s Kidney.”

The next one hit me really hard for some reason.  I also met Ron Deal through the single parent family ministry leadership conferences, though our friendship didn’t go much beyond those conferences.  He is a very gifted speaker and counselor and specializes in step family ministry.  In fact, I receive his monthly newsletter.  I received his newsletter yesterday and learned that his twelve year old son, Connor, died suddenly.  Here is the tribute that his parents put together for him, www.rondeal.org/go/Connor, including some videos and a link to the CaringBridge site that tells more about how he died.   They are needing help with expenses that occurred as Connor battled for his life.  If you would like to help this family, please send your contributions to:

‘Deal Family Fund’
P.O. Box 30370
Amarillo, TX 79120

May God bless you as you reach out to the hurting.

7 C’s

One member of our church Outreach Ministry Team had a dream, and was willing to put forth his resources to get it started.  The team latched onto this dream, and our church came together in giant numbers (but acting as one) to make it happen.  It was our idea to give a dozen chocolate chip cookies to every first responder in our city (305 total).  We called this idea the 7 C’s (Crossroads Christian Church Chocolate Chip Cookie Crusade).  Along with the cookies in each box, we put a department-specific note thanking them for all they do to keep us safe and letting them know we are praying for them. 

The children and youth came together (approx. 70 in all) under the direction of some very dedicated Sunday School Teachers and decorated all 305 boxes.  At least 64 people signed up to bring homemade chocolate chip cookies.  We had at least 35 people who came together last night to pack the cookies into the boxes.  And over the next three days, at least 20 people will be involved in delivering the “thank you’s” to all the first responders.  I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that probably 2/3 or more of the people who attend on Sunday mornings were involved in at least one facet of this project or another.  That is incredible!!

I had the privilege of helping to deliver to a fire station, police station, and sheriff’s office today, and it was incredible.  Being thankful and honoring others just makes the heart feel really good.  I’m so excited to be a part of a growing, vibrant church who is reaching out in the name of Jesus Christ to show His love in our community and around the world.

May God bless you as you reach out to others in the name of Jesus!