Author Archives: Brian

Those Aren’t Cute, Cuddly, Little Baby Panda Bears

During my time in East Tennessee, a friend showed me the beautiful waterfall called Laurel Falls out in Dennis Cove of Carter County.  I returned to it as often as I could showing it to friends, family, and even to the kids in my Youth Group.  One thing that I saw there has always stayed in the back of my mind and was a bit of a mystery to me.

Laurel Falls is about 30 ft. wide if my memory serves me correct.  On times when we had enough rain, the falls would cover the full width.  Friends of mine and I would walk out in it.  I’d lay back against the rock and let the water fall over me, it was awesome.  One time I looked down at my arm to watch the water and I noticed a little bug on me.  The water gushed over it but it stayed right where it was.  I lifted my arm up out of the water and flicked it off, then I began to see more of them.  They were all over the rocks.  I looked at them very closely for a while and saw that they didn’t move much, and when they did, it was only a step or two.  I even tried to push them around a little but the water never carried them away, they were so close to the rocks it had no effect.  In fact, as I watched and experimented like a little kid, it seemed it was the weight of the water that held them in place.  A little bit of research later revealed that they were probably mayflies.  They have gills that protrude from their sides to grab at the oxygen flowing over the falls.

It’s easy for me to see bugs as the bad guy.  If they were cute, cuddly, little baby panda bears, I’d be like, “Ah look at them, so strong, so resilient,” and feel lead to write about perseverance or something.  However, they weren’t cute and cuddly, they were creepy.  So it leads me to think of things that we can’t shake even in times of extreme beauty like Laurel Falls.

These days I think of worship services.  During these times like a waterfall, we can experience such an outpouring of His goodness that we become open to His healing, deliverance, and revelation.  But distractions come in many forms:  from technology- feedback in the mics, to ego- pre-madonna leaders, from temptations- short skirts, to stomach pains- lunchtime, these little bugs stick around and can divert our thoughts sucking out all of the oxygen if we let them.

Colossians 3:2 says for us to, “Set your minds on things above”.  For me in the waterfall, I noticed the bugs but chose to not let them take away from my awesome time in His creation.  I still put my head in the waterfall knowing I may get some in my hair.  I still jumped in the pool below knowing there were probably worse things in there.  I still had a blast and took a good shower when I got home, which in effect lived out Colossians 3:5, putting all those bugs to death.

I loved exploring that waterfall, it was for me a time of worship, little bugs included.  When I kept my mind on why I was there, “on things above”, the fun of the falls was so great I hardly noticed those little oxygen suckers.

Evangelism: The Tug of War

Evangelism sometimes feels like a tug of war to me.  My own insecurities mixed with a desire to be polite and not intrude or cause an inconvenience creates a rotten mix that in many ways becomes the opposing force.  Yes, I know salvation is more important than manners and in many ways, it’s those rude instances that people remember more.  A story I was told by a professor reminds me of this:

A mentally handicapped child was telling people about Jesus.  One person he spoke with was the CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation.  The rich man didn’t want anything to do with Jesus, so the child said, “Fine, go to Hell then.”  As the story goes, the rich man went home and for days couldn’t get the mentally handicapped child out of his head.  Eventually, he came to Christ.

Now when I heard this story I was so relieved.  It isn’t always about some cookie-cutter approach to ministry.  Evangelism is alive, it breathes, it shocks, but most of all it loves.  It becomes a goal not to strangle it in the panic.  Our minds get attached rather quickly and when the words come out all jumbly, we can feel it’s our fault if they go to Hell.  For someone in those shoes, I would say to trust in Him.

This brings me to the other Tug-of-War, the real one.  Here’s the secret, know the Holy Spirit.  The more you do, the easier of a flow it becomes.  He guides your eyes and covers your heart; He shields your thoughts and directs your steps.  I know of people who meet together with no plan other than to go out there into the harvest.  They meet, they pray, and they go.  Healings, deliverances, and salvations follow them.  You don’t have to know everything, but you do need to know Him because He is everything.

Out there, it seems Satan has one goal:  Keep people from knowing the love of God.  Everything can be understood that simply, John 3:16 style.  Now how you communicate that is where the rubber meets the road.

Years ago, my brother took me to Scotland.  At one of the youth hostels I got into a conversation with another traveler and the hour became late.  He was so hungry for Jesus, I didn’t think about anything else other than answering his questions to the best of my ability.  Soon the others in our room told us to shut-up.  What works for some will not work for others.  Be sensitive to the Spirit, be aware that at times He will guide your tongue before you even know it.  Don’t take the reins back, let Him flow.

The real Tug-of-War is when you are in the thick of it and you become intensely aware of the demons and the lies the person has embraced over the years.  Your words pull their soul from the clutches of darkness into His wonderful light.  Remember you’re on a team, angels work with you, the Holy Spirit is within you.  Work with your team, not against them.

What does that look like?  I don’t know for everyone, but ultimately I would say it is about putting yourself aside until He tells you to take it back up again.

The only way to get good at evangelism is to do it.  Books can strangle it, classes can castrate it, you have to listen to the Spirit and follow.  Let your ignorance free you to trust.

-Brian

Spirit Fire Ch. 4: More Family Time in God’s Word

We finished reading through Revelation, wow what a time that was!  We read about the end of the world and the salvation of God’s children.  We read how Jesus will come again to bring an end to suffering and pain.   We even took a look around in the heavenly courts and saw some strange creatures.  Each night we reviewed the major points we found along the way, an example is the 7 churches.  We would name them and a word about what was written to them.  If you think of Revelation as a painting, the first three chapters create a great background for the rest of the book.

After we finished Revelation we went into Mark.  So far in the past years, we’ve gone through Acts exploring the power we’ve been given, Revelation for the victory, Proverbs (which we are still in) for the Wisdom, and now Mark for Jesus.  Honestly, there’s no rhyme or reason to the order that I know of, but I do know paths converged for a moment when about halfway through Acts, Pastor Kevin from my church began taking us through it on Sundays.  That was cool.  Then Bill Johnson, another leader I respect, mentioned wisdom and power being for the believer when we were in both Proverbs and Acts.  Both emboldened me for our Spirit Fires and what I wanted for my kids.

The intro for Mark is easy.

Leader:  “Who wants Jesus to be in their treasure room?”

All:  “Meeeee!!!  I dooooo!!!”

Leader:  “Good, I have a book here called _____”

Kids:  “Mark!”

Leader:  “Written by _____”

Kids:  “Mark!!”

Leader:  “To teach us about ______”

Kids:  “Jesus!!!”

We review by calling out one thing that we’ve already read, we’re at the end of chapter 4, and by each of us naming one of the disciples.  Then I read all their names from Mark 3:16-19.

We are still making our way through the book of Proverbs on the alternate nights.  We’ve added a few more things to the intro as we’ve come across new types of Proverbs, two of which are the “Coin” and the “This and more” proverbs.  My kids’ favorite is the “Coin” proverb.  We call them “Coin” because they have two sides saying the same thing but from different viewpoints often in reference to comparing the wicked and the righteous.  My kids like the word that reveals the other side, “but”.

So we say:

Me:  “Some proverbs are like a _____.”  And then I hold my hand out flat.

Kids:  “Coin!”

Me:  “One side talks about the _______.”

Kids:  “Righteous!”

Me:  “The other side talks about the _______.”

Kids:  “Wicked!”

Me:  “And what word flips it?”

Kids:  “But!” Their favorite part.  Then I flip my hand over making a spank sound to emphasize it.

For example:

15:29 “The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”.

The LORD’s proximity toward the wicked means the same thing as His toward the righteous.  For one side to go up, like a teeter-totter, the other has to come down.  If God is near one then that means He is far from the other.  He isn’t near them both in regards to His favor.

Another type of Proverb is “This and more”.  Basically, this type of Proverb adds to its point by increasing it, not contrasting it like the “coin”; hence the different conjunctions “but” vs. “and”.

For this one we say:

Me:  “Other proverbs are a ‘This and ____.”

Kids:  “More!”

For example:

14:26 “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.”

The “this” is “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress”.   A quick explanation of this is that we who fear the LORD obey Him, and we who obey Him receive strength and power to accomplish what He is calling us to do.  Side note:  This reminds me of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:24-27.  The “and more” is the second half of the proverb furthering the original point to providing for the children.  So basically our “fear” of God is not just for us, but it’s for those under our care, namely, our kids.  My children liked hearing the good things that are coming their way, especially when I explain refuge means a huge castle.

I try to make the names for the proverbs easy so we can grasp the form which lends itself to opening the door to explore the meaning.  So that’s why she swallowed the fly.  🙂

-Brian

Hunt of the Woodpecker

Out in my woods God showed me many things.  Things within me and things around me.  One time He wanted to teach me about listening.  As I walked the trail, I heard the distant sound of a woodpecker pounding away on a tree.  He told me to look down and follow.  So I did, no matter where it lead me, and no matter what I had to walk through to do it.

I only looked at the ground straight in front of me, just enough for the next step.  The tapping got louder as I followed.  I tried to keep silent so as not to disturb anything.  Finally my search was over as my quest brought me to the foot of a tree; the hammering continued directly above me.  I looked up and there he was digging for his next meal.

There is an almost endless amount of wisdom in that experience, and even now 20+ years later, I learn new things from it.  Back then, He showed me I can follow best with my ears.  If I would have tried to follow with my eyes, I would have tripped and scared the bird.  Only by using my ears was I allowed to make it to him.

Today, I think about my walk with Jesus.  If I would have used my eyes during different times of my life, I would have tripped and been like the seed sown among thorns, Mark 4:18-19.  The circumstances that surrounded me would have choked me, making me unfruitful.  But only by listening to His voice am I able to pass through as He did amidst an angry crowd in Luke 4:30.

So go ahead, go outside.  Listen for the knocking and follow.  Join the hunt of that Divine Woodpecker.  Let His voice guide you one step at a time, Proverbs 16:9.  It was Jesus’ obedience to the will of the Father that brought Him to the knocking on the cross, Luke 22:42.  He fulfilled that path opening the door of salvation for us all, so that in the end, we would receive it, 1 Peter 1:9.

-Brian

Where’s the Sunshine?

“Where’s the sunshine?” a person asked me as they were walking outside.  “Just behind the clouds,” I replied.

This is another instance of my mouth acting faster than my brain… but once my “thinker” caught up, I thought about how often we ask that question about Jesus.  Some days feel like Jesus just isn’t around.  We get caught in the clouds of whatever is going on and we wonder, “Where’s the Son-shine?”

One of my friends told me that she used to pray that God would make the sun shine in her day until He told her that the sun is always shining… instead she should pray for the clouds to go away.

This totally changed the way I pray.  I no longer ask Him to be with me because He has never left me (Deut. 31:6, Josh. 1:5, Heb.13:5)).  Instead, I thank Him for always being with me and ask Him to open my eyes to His Presence and His blessings for me throughout the day.  I don’t have to ask for something He’s already given me – His will is for constant fellowship with me and He has nothing but good things to give me.  I simply need to recognize Him, receive His gifts, and glorify Him with thanksgiving!

Cloudy days aren’t the same to me anymore, now that I’ve realized where the Son is.  He’s just behind the clouds.  Ask Him to make them go away.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 8:38-39

-Betsy

For Those Who Have Gone Before and For Those Who Remain

Such a chorus it must be of saints and angels welcoming them home.
Such a sight to see when they receive their white robes and the crown of life to don.

When the Son of God no longer takes the form of a Lamb but girds Himself for war,
taking up their cause the world trembles and quakes for on it His wrath He will pour.

Look to the sky for the time is coming nigh when you will either enter His throne room
or call for mountains to fall and hide you from your doom.

Weeding

I like to meditate while doing chores.  Weeding has been one chore throughout my life that has given me metaphor after metaphor to understand the reality around me.  My Lord Jesus used sowing seed as an illustration in a parable about people’s reception to the Word, Mark 4:1-9.  Rocks and weeds took on special rolls in it- the rocks made the soil too shallow for the seed’s roots to get any depth, and the weeds would choke the seed making it unfruitful.  Now if you had both rocks and weeds where the seed was sown, that’s a double whammy.

At a college I worked at, they covered all the in-between places with rock.  Weeds would grow there as soon as Winter had passed and the snow had melted.  During times when I just needed to think, I would go out to the patch of rock and weeds just outside my door and get my hands dirty.

A couple things about weeding in rocks- 1.  Don’t expect to be a hand model afterwards.  The rocks made my knuckles raw and often they would bleed; forget about my nails.  2.  The lack of soil made pulling the weeds extra difficult.  I normally like to dig down to the roots to really get them up, but with the rocks I would just grab as close as I could to the base and pull.  On dry days they would often break at the rock level.

What are weeds?  Google defines a weed as, “A wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants.”  Within the rocks, the college had planted beautiful flowers and shrubs, but when the weeds grew it was sometimes difficult for me to know the difference.  When I’d pull on the keepers, since they were planted before the rocks, their roots held fast.  In a way, the rocks became an armor and the role Jesus spelled out for them was turned on the weeds

Working with people can sometimes be very much like pulling those weeds.  The hardness of life can make those plants closely guarded and it is often a battle to help them see that life with Him is much more than mere survival.

Adventures in Prayer Part 10

My family and I now live on an intersection.  People walk, ride bikes, and drive through it everyday.  It has provided for me the canvas and background for my prayers:  anyone who passes through experiences an intersection of their life with the presence of God.  Wherever they are at in their journey in life, far or near to Him, my prayers are that they would experience a fresh outpouring of His love for them.  I pray for angels to be stationed over every house along the street.  I pray darkness to flee:  regret, anger, hatred, violence, addiction, depression, and all kinds of evil spirits are cast from the neighborhood.  I claim this ground to be holy in Jesus’ name.

For those who pass through, I pray new thoughts.  New thoughts about God and His love for them.  New insights into the plans He has in store for them.  I release His goodness over their lives, over their families, over their jobs, and futures.  He has so much in store for each of us, if we would but have the ears to hear.  I pray burdens lifted; foul thoughts averted, and as they pass through, they would feel such a moment of refreshment that they’d leave inspired.

Who knows the paths of thoughts?  Who knows from where they come or where they go?  I’ve had thoughts I didn’t invite before, harmful thoughts.  Thoughts that brought nothing good with them to my mind.  Thoughts that did not encourage or build me up in any way.  One day it hit me that this was an attack.  So in a strange way I realized if the enemy can do this to me, what can the Holy Spirit do for me and others?  In the end, I want to know His thoughts more than my own, and surely more than the enemy’s.  1 Corinthians 2:11-16.

I want to be old friends with the Holy Spirit, I want Him to fill every corner of my being and my home.  I know some of what lives near us now, con-artists and thieves are the most prevalent and I try to walk in wisdom in all my actions and conversations with my neighbors.  But I also move to advance while protecting my family and neighbors.

I have not forgotten the last place we lived.  I still pray revival over that street: an outpouring of the love of God so great that it changes everything, may His name be praised.  It is actually because of what happened there that inspires me to take it to another level.  I don’t know of any limits, so if I’m going to pray, I’m going to do it full on crazy.

Ephesians 3:20-21 states,  “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…“  Might as well make Him work for it.  To quote Han Solo, “I don’t know, I can imagine a lot.”

I write this in hopes that it may encourage others in their battle against fear during these days.  If these posts are not encouraging to you then please stop reading them.  If they give you a new perspective to understand the world around you that you may have never considered before, then amen.  I told a friend of mine that I write to fight.  This is my own small way to combat fear by reminding myself what He has done in my own life.  He works in all of us differently but always powerfully.

May you find encouragement in these days to continue following after Him, Romans 12:2.  Till the day He comes again my friends, Jesus be with you.

Adventures in Prayer Part 9

Curriculum for Faith 101

Possible side effects include:  Death, exile, PTSD, loss of family and friends, loss of material wealth, all kinds of abuse, etc.

Tuition:  free

Group Class projects include but are not limited to:

1.  (2+ per Group)  Do something ridiculous evangelistically- ask strangers if they want prayer for anything/start a Bible study with co-workers etc.  5 page paper cataloging results good and bad.  Include salvations, healings, deliverances, etc.

2.  (3+ per Group)  Find something your Church is/isn’t doing that Jesus wants and do it.  5 page paper.

3.  (5-10+ per Group)  Be a part of a Prayer event-  National Day of Prayer, Prayer Walk etc.  3 page paper.

4.  (3-5+ per Group)  Volunteer for a Prison Ministry.  3 page paper.

5.  (2+ per Group)  Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen or other outreach to the homeless.  3 page paper.

6.  (2+ per Group)  Volunteer at an International Outreach to refugees.  3 page paper.

7.  (2+ per Group)  Short-Term Mission trip/internship.  5 page paper.

8. (2+ per Group)  Visit a retirement center and meet the residents.

Individual Class Projects Include but are not limited to:

1.  Begin a journal of prayer.  Include dates of requests and when/ how they were answered.  5 page paper.

2.  Read Bible in a year.  Write down thoughts and questions.  10 page paper.

3.  Go to church.  2 page paper.

4.  Attend a service of at least 3 different churches that still claim Jesus as Lord.  Talk to them.  3 page paper.

5.  Have a time of Prayer and Fasting.  1-5 day water fast etc.  3 page paper.

6.  Mentor someone.  3 page paper.

Family Projects Include but are not limited to:

1.  Go to church.  2 page paper.

2.  Begin a family devotional time- read Bible/pray/etc.  2 page paper.

3.  Get to know your neighbors.  Love and pray for them.

There are many other events and things that can be done but they can’t and are never meant to replace a living relationship with God, only to help it breathe.  Some of these you will do your whole life, others for a season.  Let the Spirit lead you through fear and watch as He writes in you the story of your faith.

Clarifications:

Honestly, when I wrote this, I became confused about it being humorous or serious.  It reminds me of when I made a John 3:16 sign and held it up at our high school basketball games amidst a raucous crowd of about 40.  Some aspects are meant to be funny: tuition, papers, page numbers, etc., while others are serious: “Let the Spirit lead you through fear and watch as He writes in you the story of your faith.”  Ultimately it’s about doing something with your time here that will bring glory to God and not only to yourself.

For many, this post is a bit of “the cart before the horse”.  I know of Christians who emphasize “being” over “doing” and “abiding in His presence” more than “working in the field”.  As you abide, do not forget your neighbor.  As you experience His presence, do not forget His heart for the lost.  I know to some mentioning all of this may sound ridiculous, and though it is good to “know thyself”, it is better to be known by God, 1 Corinthians 8:3.

It was because of His love for us that He gave us His Son, Jesus.  What will your love for Him lead you to do, James 2:14-26?  For when it comes to living out our faith, the cart is the horse and the horse is the cart.

Adventures in Prayer Part 8

I was a green seminarian grad, for those of you who know what that is, you know how dangerous and stupid we can be.  My mind was full of what the Church could be “if only…”, and that’s usually where the trouble begins.  My thoughts were about unity.  At seminary I was taught many things that I left behind without a second thought.  But after being exposed to how crazy everything was, the thought to get us all together under Christ became paramount.

I grew up in a church with a background of ecumenically minded founders from the 1800’s.  Even though it didn’t take long for that movement to split itself three different ways, I wanted to stand in that same original vision restoring what Alexander Campbell and others started so long ago.  I began by calling around 30+ churches throughout Lansing challenging them with John 17:20-26.  I tried to reason with them that this was the kind of evangelism that could win the world.  For the ones who answered their phones, I usually got mumbling words of agreement, but most seemed disinterested.  I began to see how difficult this was going to be.  I talked with God often about it.  Those preachers didn’t know what was out there, they do now even moreso than I would have ever imagined.  Back then I knew of what could come into their churches, to their pulpits.  We needed to get together quick and not just for the lost.  We needed to see that we could be one, I needed to see it.

I kept calling leaving messages on answering machines or having dead end conversations with the church leaders who did answer.  I kept throwing out the net praying that someone would hear.  Someone had to hear what Scripture plainly said, they were preachers after all.  No one.  I began to think I heard God wrong, or maybe this was what He wanted- everything to go crazy.  Then I got a bite, it was a slight nibble, but it was more than I had in weeks.  The inner city churches agreed to meet.  There were about 4-5 of them depending on the schedule.  I was a campus minister at the time, and a friend of mine who also joined was in the prison ministry, so we didn’t really count.  I remember the first meeting, it was glorious.  I was so clueless.  In my mind I had already begun to jump ship to leave contemporary Christianity due to several botched ministries and being tired of the arrogance, elitism, and pride laden in everything from seminary, to church plants, to 100 member churches, to the mega ones.  I was almost headed back out to the woods, that’s where I met Him anyways. And then there were these guys, my answer to prayer and extremely liberal (which I didn’t know at the time), denominational, (I had come from a non-denominational background, they actually called denominations “demon-nations”), but they were willing.  If I remember right, they began calling the group L.C.O.C. which stood for Lansing Council of Churches.

One time, we had a leader who came from a conservative mega church in town.  We had a great phone conversation and I invited him to come.  Things were looking up.  But at the meeting I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so uncomfortable.  He never said a word.  Again, at the time I didn’t know the other leaders were liberals, but he did.  He never came back or returned any calls.  I became friends with his Youth Minister who even told me the guy won’t talk to me.  It didn’t take me long to figure out just how liberal the leaders were.  But this was who God gave me and if this was the worst of it, I figured I could work with it.  Who knows?  Maybe they would be willing to learn from the Bible instead of their headquarters?

We did a couple Thanksgiving events in the few years I was with them and they would invite me to come to perform concerts at their churches; not really what I had envisioned, but it was a start.  I still tried to convince other leaders to join, but in my many conversations with another mega church leader, he explained that these denominational preachers were on rotation and only did these kinds of groups because they were lonely.  He explained that he had enough fellowship amongst his own multi-member ministry team and didn’t need any more.

I grew tired of it all and asked God for someone more charismatic to lead it.  I was left with thoughts like, “People don’t follow Jesus anymore, they need a Bono to get them off their butts.”

A little while after I stopped meeting with them to focus on the campus ministry, I heard of another group that started and it became the group that still meets today with over 100 churches.  I went to their beginning meetings and found all the church leaders there that I had spoken to for so many weeks, even a leader from the conservative mega church, and the other mega church guy who “had enough fellowship with his own team”.

I had attempted to be faithful to what I believed God had shown me.  It turned out crazy, but it seems He used the faithfulness of the liberals to inspire some of the conservatives.  In the end, a portion of what Jesus prayed for came to fruition.

I believe the call is to be faithful even if you get it wrong somehow.  Maybe what you do in faithfulness will inspire others into action who will get it right.  In the end, I got to see what I wanted to see, the Bride of Christ, and she is beautiful.