Surprise!

It’s been a busy weekend, and as so often happens, the blog entry got relegated to the back burner. LOL… doesn’t saying that something is on the “back burner” sound much better than “procrastination”? It’s already technically Monday, and whatever was on the back burner is going to stay there. So often, my plans are preempted by God’s plans when His Holy Spirit intervenes in my life.

This past Sunday was Father’s Day. Even though it’s belated, if you are a father, I’d like to wish you a Happy Father’s Day.

My eldest daughter, Jennifer, surprised me with the most wonderful Father’s Day present. Instead of attending Our Savior Lutheran Church in Orange as she normally does, she brought my little grandson, Jeffrey, out to “help” his Pop-pop direct traffic at Messiah for Father’s Day. Indeed, with Jeffrey’s help, you may have noticed traffic being a bit more tied up and somewhat slower this past Sunday. While I am perfectly willing to put myself at risk directing traffic in the street, Jeffrey is far more precious! So, with him in my arms, we directed traffic from the sidewalk. Mostly, we laughed and waved. I would wave, people would wave back, and Jeffrey (assuming that they were waving at him) would wave back to them. Even though he’s still a couple months shy of being 2 years old, he has a killer smile and an infectious laugh. From the smiles on everybody’s faces, we could use a dozen greeters that exude Jeffrey’s joy and excitement.

Once the 10:15 service had started, Jennifer and I walked Jeffrey across the campus to the new fountain. As soon as we came out of the Life Center, and he saw the cross, he wanted to “see it!” He loved it. So much so, that we had a difficult time convincing him to walk around to see it from the front. Of course, once he got a glimpse of the cascading water, he couldn’t wait to get close enough to put his hands in the water. Surprise! A two-year old teaches us not to just stand back and admire what we have, but to actively seek to put your self in the middle of the action. By the way, we discovered the secret passage hidden in the design of the fountain. Have you?

As we walked back toward the Life Center, we discovered a new secret that has only come about since the installation of the fountain. The fountain, gardens, and walls now effectively hide our parking lot from passing traffic. They also greatly reduce the road noise that reaches into our campus. Now, when you approach the Life Center from the fountain, your uplifted voice will cause an echo off the building. Jeffrey had fun shouting (well, as much as his little voice can shout) out the word “echo”, and hearing it come back off our building. It reminded me that what we do and say reflects into the world. Does what we say and do reflect the peace and joy and love of God, or are we just an empty echo?

Since I worship at the 11:45 service, and since the 10:15 service was not even half over yet, we walked back to the North end of the campus to let Jeffrey play on the play equipment in the big sand area. While Jennifer and I sat in the shade at a picnic table, Jeffrey explored every facet of the play equipment. Since adventure and risk are an inherent part of a boy’s makeup, he was soon doing things that took his mother’s breath away. I was delighted to see him grow, and stretch, and try… and succeed! Can God be any less delighted when we grow and stretch in faith? What have you been afraid to try? Listen... can you hear God encouraging you? With God’s encouragement, is there anything that you can’t succeed at?

Well, before I knew it, people were streaming out of the service, and it was time for me to resume my parking duties. It was time for Jeffrey to go home, too; lunch and a nap beckoned. In our final service of the day, as Pastor Bob asked if there were any special prayer requests, I gave thanks for all the blessings that God continues to pour out into my life.

I got to spend time with my daughter and my grandson, and… I got to share them with so many of my brothers and sisters at Messiah. How awesome was that?!? We didn’t spend any money, and we didn’t do anything exotic, but I probably enjoyed the best Father’s Day experience ever! Are you looking for the blessings in your life? Believe me… they’re there… you just have to look.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

It Worked Out For the Best

These seem to be uncertain times. Some people want to blame it on the collapse of financial institutions, failures in the stock markets, lack of responsibility, and greed. Others want to blame governments. There seems to be no shortage of people, institutions, or agencies to blame, but the only thing that seems certain is continued uncertainty. We’re uncertain about our jobs. We’re uncertain about our finances. We’re uncertain about our futures.

In reality, every period of human history has had its share of uncertain times. Each of us, as an individual, is also faced with many times of uncertainty in our lives. How can we know how things will work out? Well, that is the topic of this week’s blog entry. My friend, Mark Gorman, recently covered this topic so well, that I got his permission to publish his teaching here in Messiah’s blog.

You may recall (from past entries) that Mark is a spiritual mentor of mine. I have had the great privilege to support Mark’s ministry over the years (in my meager capacity). I have heard Mark speak in churches, auditoriums, and arenas across the country. Mark’s message, his leadership, his faithfulness, his caring, his intelligence, his insight into God's Word, his excitement and enthusiasm, his humor, and most of all... his love... inspires me to follow his lead. He inspires ME to want to share what he teaches to my family, my church, my community, and the world. Here’s Mark:

It Worked Out For the Best
by Mark Gorman

How many times have we heard someone say these words, "It worked out for the best"?

Usually that means that things didn't go the way they had planned, but even though they didn't get what they wanted, it eventually proved to benefit them.

In Philippians 1:22, the Apostle Paul says, "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel."

Now, when some people say that things didn't work out the way they planned, that may mean that when they arrived at their vacation hotel, their reservation had been lost in the system, and they had to stay somewhere else. Or, it may mean that, although they ordered a hamburger, instead, they received a cheeseburger, but they were able to peel off the cheese, and it was still a tasty hamburger.

But when Paul said this, he was talking about 'Big Boy Problems".

We just think we had a "Bad Day", but listen to Paul: 2 Corinthians 11:24-29 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. NIV

Now, do you REALLY want to have that contest with the Apostle Paul, to see who had the worst day?

First, we need to acknowledge that God does NOT CAUSE these bad things in our lives. But, we do know that if He wanted, He could prevent them - He could stop them.

As a father, I can speak from experience when I say that I love my children so much, I wouldn't hesitate to give my life for either one of them, if it would save their life. I can't even describe the kind of love a parent has for their child.

But, as much as I want to protect them and keep them from harm, there have been times in their lives when I willingly stepped back and watched as they encountered uncomfortable situations - which I could have prevented. Why would I do that, if I love them?

The answer is simple: I love them enough, that I want them to grow and flourish. And if I see that a particular experience, which may seem negative at first, will actually bring new strength into their lives, or new understanding, which could protect them in the future, then I will stand by and watch as they go through that uncomfortable experience. And although they may think that I don't care, it is actually out of an abundance of love and concern that I allow this, because I know that I won't always be there, when they encounter similar situations in the future. So therefore, I would prefer to have them experience this discomfort when I am there - so that I can keep a watchful eye on the whole process, than for their first encounter of this type to occur when I am nowhere nearby.

Does that make sense to you?

I truly believe that, although God doesn't CAUSE these difficult, painful situations, He DOES see them. He is aware of them, and if He chose to do so, He definitely could stop them. But it is out of an abundance of love that He allows us to encounter some of these trying experiences, under His watchful eye, monitoring everything as it happens, to ensure that it is NEVER more than we can bear.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

So, with that in mind, let's take a closer look at Paul:

As I read about Paul, in the book of Acts, and as I read his writings (more than half of the New Testament), I get a "feel" for the kind of man he was.

He strikes me as a no-nonsense guy. You didn't have to be a mind-reader with Paul, because it appears that he was the kind of person who spoke his mind freely. In other words, he never had an unexpressed thought!

He was confrontational. And, although he had much love and compassion for others, he had no tolerance for those who willingly choose to transgress God's laws, or those who take advantage of others through manipulation or deception.

Now, tell me, do you think that this kind of no-nonsense guy was really a "writer"?

Does Paul strike you as the kind of guy who kept a journal? Can you picture him picking out matching stationary and envelopes?

Come on! He wasn't that type at all. He would rather express himself verbally (with his mouth) than to put his thoughts into written form in a letter.

In fact, my guess is that, if he had a choice, he probably wouldn't have written any letters. (This is my own guess here, so don't get bent out of shape if you disagree. No sense in two of us being bent out of shape. HA!)

But I really don't picture the Apostle Paul sitting quietly in a room, pondering the questions of life, and then journaling his thoughts.

So, how did he end up writing more than half of the New Testament? Because he was faced with a situation which restricted his options - he was in prison. And although he would have preferred by far, to physically travel to each of the churches which had been birthed through his ministry, so he could mentor their leaders, and bring proper order to those who were "out of line", he DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE!

He was in prison - no phones - no fax - no e-mail. And the ONLY way he could maintain communication with his spiritual sons & daughters, with the churches he had birthed, with those leaders who were looking to him as a mentor, was to write to them.

You see, the thing I'm getting at here is that, if Paul had never been thrown in prison, I don't believe he would have written any part of the Bible!

(And, I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything. But I feel confident that someone on my e-mail list DOES, and that they'll be kind enough to enlighten me if I'm making wrong assumptions here. What a blessing, that those who know everything, are thoughtful enough to share their knowledge with us - especially in the form of a rebuke or correction! Precious!)

But think about it. Doesn't this make sense? I honestly believe that the only way to get Paul to write, was to lock him in a room. That way, since he couldn't travel, his only other option was to write letters to those whom he was mentoring, and to the churches who were under his spiritual, Apostolic covering.

And, I don't believe that he had a clue, to know that these letters would someday be reprinted in different languages around the world, grouped together with other writings, in a single book which would be known as the Bible. I don't think he was looking that far into the distant future.

No, he was just trying his best to communicate critically important information to these people and church congregations who looked to him for spiritual oversight and counsel.

I can imagine that the devil was getting upset when Paul got saved, and then started traveling all over, witnessing, winning people to Christ, and then birthing churches in those cities. Satan probably told his demons, "We MUST stop this Apostle Paul! Everywhere he goes, he starts new churches! Wait, I have an idea. Why don't we get him thrown into jail? Then, all he can do is write letters!"

Duh! The devil DEFINITELY didn't see it coming!

When Paul was thrown into prison, the devil considered it a personal victory for his team.

And who knows? For all we know, Paul may have honestly thought that the only people who would ever read what he had written, were those to whom his letters were addressed. I haven't found anything to indicate otherwise.

So, that would mean that Paul died, not knowing how great an impact his letters would have on the entire world in centuries to come.

You may ask, "Mark, how does all of this apply to me?"

Well, I believe that, like me, many of you have encountered situations in your life which seem to be taking you completely "off track" from the path you thought you should be walking.

In fact, you probably thought that everything was just now starting to come together for you. It was all starting to "gel". It seemed as if all the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fit.

And then, WHAMO! Out of nowhere, something knocked you off your feet. And what you encountered may be completely different from me. But regardless of what it is, something seems to have knocked you down, and restricted you from fulfilling what you thought was God's perfect plan for your life.

But you see, before he ever accepted Christ, while he was still living in sin, God already knew that, in order for him to fulfill his greatest potential, Paul would eventually have to be restricted from traveling, so that his deep love for those churches would cause him to do something he never intended to do - to sit quietly and write letters - not knowing that those letters would eventually fill more than half of the New Testament.

Yep, the devil thought that he was really hindering Paul's ministry when he was thrown in prison. But God allowed it because He knew that Paul's writing career was about to start.

And if Paul had never been thrown in prison, I question whether he would have ever taken the time and patience to sit and put his thoughts into written form.

And even after he had written those letters, do you really think he knew that they would be a part of the Bible? I don't. I truly believe he assumed that they would be read only by the recipients to whom they were addressed.

Now, have you been feeling that the devil has knocked the wind out of your sails? Have you even wondered if you have been thrown so far off course, that you can never get back on the right path, to fulfill God's plan for your life?

Well, maybe, you are such a threat to the enemy, that he is trying to restrict you, either by imprisonment, or by sever pain, or by whatever else. Let him throw his best shot, because no matter what he tries, God can turn it around, so that it works out for the best!

And then you can say, "It worked out for the best!"

------------------------

Mark Gorman © 2009
This article may not be reprinted without the written permission of its author, Mark Gorman.For permission to reprint, or for more information about books and recordings by Mark Gorman, visit http://www.markgorman.com/ or write tomailto:%20info@markgorman.com?subject=Copyright%20Permission.

So… how have things worked out for you? Have you had any of those moments where you looked back over a difficult time or situation, and thought: "It worked out for the best!"?

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Leading Children by the Spirit

One of my greatest joys, and also one of my strongest callings, is sharing the stories of the Bible, the Word of God, and the love of God with little children. I have been blessed with the opportunity to do just that here at Messiah. Since all the children know that I “do magic” (LOL), I often incorporate some magic trick into the teaching. I always make it clear that I’m just performing some trick, and that my ability is due to practice, hard work, and a blessing from God. We’ve seen that using a magic trick to emphasize a point helps the teaching stay with the kids for a longer time. To tell the truth, adults aren’t much different.

Often, I work all week on a passage for the Children’s Message and tie in some trick, only to wake up on Sunday morning being led by the Spirit in a completely different direction. I learned a long time ago that listening to the prodding of the Spirit always brings about wonderful results I never could have foreseen.

In my children’s messages, I ask the kids a lot of questions. My timing is such that I don’t always wait for answers, otherwise chaos results from 50 to 75 voices clamoring to be heard. When I do want an answer, I try to guide them toward it, and REALLY get excited about whoever gives me the answer I was looking for; then I continue on immediately.

The message I’m sharing today is from a Children’s Message I did in October of 2007. It’s called “Jacob’s Family” and is from Genesis 29:1 – 30:24 of the Bible. There is really no magic associated with the telling of this story… just a colored balloon that can be inflated to the size of a head, a marker (to use on the balloon to draw a picture of “pretty Rachael on one side, and “not-so-pretty Leah” on the other), and a scarf (or opaque piece of cloth to be used as a veil). Hint: it’s easier to draw on an inflated balloon. If you need to know exactly what to do with the props, you may contact me for details, but it should be pretty obvious as you read the story.

OK, here’s the message. Open your heart, and let the child inside of you follow along:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob’s Family (Genesis 29:1 – 30:24)

You guys remember the story of Jacob so far?

Remember how he tricked his father Isaac into giving HIM the blessing, instead of his brother Esau?

Remember how Esau was soooo mad that he wanted to kill his brother Jacob, and how Jacob’s mom, Rebekah, tricked Isaac into sending Jacob off to his uncle Laban’s (which was far away in a place called Haran) until Esau could calm down a bit?

And don’t forget, along the way Jacob was visited by God, and received God’s blessing.

Well, today… we catch up with Jacob just outside of Haran where he asked some shepherds if they know of his uncle Laban. They say that yes they do, and that Laban has 2 lovely daughters, and not only that, but here comes one now.

Jacob turns around to see the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen in his whole life… she was the younger of Laban’s daughters, and her name was Rachael.

Jacob falls crazy-cuckoo, head-over-heels in love with Rachael. He’s so much in love with Rachael that he offers to work for Laban for 7 years if he can marry Rachael.

Guess what? Laban thinks that’s a great deal… for HIMSELF, so he agrees and Jacob worked the next 7 years for free for Laban.

Now, Jacob was so over-the-moon for Rachael, that the seven years just seemed like seven days to him. At the end of the 7 years, he told Laban, “Now give me my bride.”

So Laban ordered a big wedding, with a special dress and a veil for the bride (and I bet they had wedding cake, too)… and Jacob got married.

But, OH MY GOODNESS, when the wedding was over, and Jacob lifted the veil to kiss his bride, it wasn’t Rachael, but her older sister, Leah, who Jacob had just married!

Jacob, who was so good at tricking everyone else, had just been tricked by Laban… and BOY was Jabob mad!

Laban said: “Calm down. The custom around here is that the oldest daughter gets married first. But you can still marry Rachael, if… you work another 7 years for me.”

So, Jacob married Rachael, too, AND worked another 7 years for Laban.

Of course, now Jacob had 2 wives… and get out of the way, because Leah and Rachael were jealous of each other! Can’t you just her it? “He likes me best.” “No! He likes me way more than you!”

[You ever get jealous of your brother or sister?]

And then things started really getting crazy… each woman wants Jacob’s love and affection so much, that they bring their maids in, and make them wives, too! Now Jacob has FOUR wives, and before you know it, all those wives give him 12 sons and 1 daughter.

Can you imagine a house with 1 dad, 4 moms, and 13 kids, and… dad likes one kid best? Everybody wanted something different; they never agreed on anything. They were probably fighting from morning to night! It was one crazy family!

[You ever fight in your house?]

How could anything good come from such a messed up family? Did any of them live up to what God wanted? Do you think God wanted Jacob to have so many wives, or for everybody to be tricking everybody else? Do you think God wanted them to be jealous, or to argue and fight with each other? Was it God that made the mess, or was it the people?

Well… remember how God gave Jacob a blessing? God remembers His promises, and so from Jacob’s mixed-up family came 2 of the most important tribes of Israel, and the house of David, and eventually… even God’s only son… Jesus.

When we ask Jesus into our heart, God promises to forgive our sins. But what if we mess up like Jacob? Will God turn away from us? With Jesus in our hearts, the answer is always “NO”! We are saved by God’s grace, NOT by what we can, or cannot, do.

No matter how mixed up your life may feel, always remember:
God has a plan to bless your life. Put your faith in God!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In getting the message to be simple enough for the kindergarten through second grade crowd to understand, I often discover that God’s Spirit has helped me to understand Scripture in new ways, in exciting ways, and in far simpler ways. God doesn’t complicate His message of love and salvation… we (so-called adults) do. So remember what I told the children… I tell you, and I tell me, too:

No matter how mixed up your life may feel, always remember:
God has a plan to bless your life. Put your faith in God!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave